Stunning British racecourse becomes a total write-off as dirty water floods helpless track amid Storm Henk deluge
THIS picturesque British racecourse has become a total write-off after being flooded amid a devastating storm surge.
Huntingdon racecourse was left almost totally submerged after nearby Alconbury Brook burst its banks.
Things have gone from bad to worse for grounds crew at the Cambridgeshire track.
They lost their biggest race of the year – the Peterborough Chase – last month and the track has been underwater pretty much ever since.
With storm after storm battering the country it looks like it will be a while before the much-loved venue is able to host racing again.
And the state of flooding in the area remains ‘high’ on the government website, with levels more than a metre above normal.
This was the second time in three years the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase has been called off.
The race has been won in the past by the likes of Gold Cup legend Best Mate, who claimed the prize in 2002.
Trainer Henrietta Knight’s legendary stayer won the first of his three Gold Cups earlier that year and would go onto win the next two.
Champion Chase hero Edredon Bleu, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle champ Al Ferof and former Arkle winner Remittance Man are also on the roll of honour.
Huntingdon has had its fair share of floods and was hit hard in 2020 when the grandstand and surrounding buildings were damaged.
Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan explained recently the scale of the flooding they have endured.
He said: “You can’t beat the elements. The river levels upstream were rising and we weren’t able to keep the brook within its banks.
“The entirety of the lawns in front of the grandstand and the members car park are under water.
“The sand crossing where the horses come out on to the track and the stable bend currently have standing water all across it.
“Thankfully the water didn’t quite get into the buildings. It was a few inches short.”
There was due to be racing at Huntingdon today but it was cancelled earlier in the week.
Officials will be praying the track clears in time for their Chatteris Fen raceday on Friday week.
But with more than 300 flood warnings triggered in England alone, it seems crew will need a minor miracle for the course to be raceable again in time.
Worcester has found itself in a similar position, with kayakers pictured paddling down the home straight.
The popular jumps venue stood no chance against the River Severn – as these incredible photos showed.
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