Parts of champion trainer Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat yard were under water on Thursday night following heavy rain in the area, but all horses were safely relocated.
Assistant trainer Charlie Davies took to social media to share the incredible images of the world-famous jumps yard which was hit by Storm Henk throughout Thursday and into the evening.
Six of the stable's representatives had to be moved out of their usual boxes at the Highbridge site on account of the rising water, but all horses are reported to be in good shape and largely unaffected.
Davies commented: "The heavy rain caused a few issues last night in Ditcheat. 9.30pm we had to evacuate six horses from our Highbridge yard. Thankfully all the horses are good this morning, the gallops handled the rain well and we were able to exercise all the horses as usual."
The heavy rain caused a few issues last night in Ditcheat. 9.30 pm we had to evacuate 6 horses from our Highbridge yard. Thankfully all the horses are good this morning, the gallops handled the rain well and we were able to exercise all the horses as usual. @PFNicholls pic.twitter.com/TYZBKtLk8K
— Charlie Davies (@charliedavies31) January 5, 2024
Nicholls claimed he'd not seen so much rain in the area for 15 years.
Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, he said: "It’s a once in a 15-year event really when you get so much rain in the area through Somerset and Wiltshire and it all ends up coming down the rivers.
“We are right by the River Aller and as everything backs up and the river bursts its banks everywhere, all the drainage in the village and in our yard just backs up and our bottom yard floods.
“We have six or eight horses that when it gets like we have to move out and at 10.30pm last night we were having to move them out.
“Astonishingly once the water levels drop it’s like someone pulls a plug, it just disappears and it’s all gone today.
“The problem is higher up, they get so much rain it feeds into the river and nothing can cope. It’s just sheer volume of water.
“I must say I’ve never seen rain like it, or water on the roads, last night. I took my dad to the pub last and I basically had to rescue him, it took an hour to get home and it’s basically half a mile down the road. I’ve never seen anything like it, but it’s all good this morning.
“It doesn’t surprise me Wincanton might race as there was so much water it just ran straight off, it didn’t get chance to sink in.”
Sandown's major Saturday meeting, however, was called off on Friday morning due to waterlogging, while Wincanton’s Saturday card is also in doubt with their clerk of the course Daniel Cooper calling an inspection for 8am on raceday morning.
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