TRAINERS took a safety first approach to racing at Ascot yesterday as fast ground robbed the meeting of its two star attractions and threatened to decimate today's valuable card.
Champion Hurdle candidates Large Action and Castle Sweep were among 12 horses withdrawn when the going was altered to good to firm. But others are likely to follow suit today with Major Summit, King Lucifer and Garolo already among the doubtful starters.
The morning change in the ground from good, good to firm in places, was the catalyst for the defections which left the feature £25,000 Coopers & Lybrand Hurdle to just three contenders.
Muse took the race by 10 lengths, but he is not the force he was when he won the event in 1992 or a year later when he finished sixth in the Champion Hurdle. Both Oliver Sherwood and David Nicholson were never likely to race Large Action and Castle Sweep on ground faster than good.
"I want Large Action on the track but not on ground like this. He could now go to Fairyhouse for the Hattons Grace Hurdle or wait for the Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham," said Sherwood.
Nicholson said: "It's an awful decision to make to take a horse out but you don't get many Castle Sweeps and he was never going to run unless the ground was good or good to soft."
The withdrawals were particularly frustrating because two inches of rain fell at Ascot earlier this week and the track has absorbed nearly four inches so far this month.
Clerk of the course Nick Cheyne said: "I fully understand the trainers concern. No one wants to run on fast ground. We want them here but not when the ground is too fast for them.
"I am dumbfounded at how the course has been able to absorb so much rain. We were even watering at the end of last week but it has gone through the ground like a sieve."
Muse ran his customary front running race to defeat Mistinguett and record an emotional victory for his connections, his first since he suffered a serious tendon injury two years ago.
"Having broken down so badly, it was not an easy decision to run on this ground," said trainer David Elsworth. "But we decided to take our chance because he is such a good jumper."
Nicholson was among the winners when Storm Alert recorded his fourth win at Ascot in the Gerrard And National Handicap Chase. But Sherwood had to settle for two seconds with Callisoe Bay, runner up to Storm Alert, and Charming Gale who chased home - Executive Design in the Ladbroke Trial Handicap Hurdle.
The Mary Reveley trained Executive Design was the only ride of the day for Peter Niven who gave a confident display on the four year old, now eligible to have his entry costs reimbursed for the Ladbroke at Leopardstown on January 11th.