Ascot’s Perth Cup moves to twilight slot due to extreme heat

AAP
Perth Cup moved to twilight meeting
Spectators take in the day of racing at Ascot for Perth Cup Day. Photo: Western Racepix

The Perth Cup, an iconic New Year’s Day event, will now be held as a twilight fixture at Ascot Racecourse due to extreme heat forecasts.

The race programme has been reduced from nine to seven races, with the first race now set for 3:37 pm local time.

Racing WA Chief Racing Officer David Hunter emphasised the organisation’s commitment to safety, stating, “Our policies are designed to protect the welfare of racing animals and participants, with flexibility to adjust scheduling based on the forecast.”

“Racing WA stewards and veterinarians have been in direct contact with the duty forecaster, and with temperatures expected to be 38°C or higher until later in the day, it was necessary to reduce the number of races to enable a later start time when temperatures are expected to ease and continue to fall,” David added.

Perth Cup Day Revised Race Times

  • Race 1 – Magic Millions Plate – 3:37 pm
  • Race 2 – Schweppes Handicap – 4:11 pm
  • Race 3 – Ascend Trophies Handicap – 4:45 pm
  • Race 4 – Swan Draught Summer Scorcher – 5:18 pm
  • Race 5 – TABtouch Perth Cup – 5:52 pm
  • Race 6 – Mrs Mac’s La Trice Classic – 6:24 pm
  • Race 7 – Mumm Champagne Handicap – 6:55 pm

    • Racing WA stewards will continue to monitor weather conditions in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology. Further adjustments to the schedule may be made if the forecast changes significantly before or during the event.

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