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FROST COVERS
Some frequently asked question about Frost Covers:
What are Frost Covers?
Frost Covers are used to protect the ground from the elements (and from frost in particular) during the coldest parts of the winter months. Placed on the ground around key parts of or sometimes the entire track, the protection they bring maximises the opportunity for racing to go ahead, and helps limit the number of major fixtures that are lost to the elements over the course of a winter.
What are they made of?
The covers come in two main types. Some are made of a traditional agricultural fleece (similar to those used to protect famer’s crops in open fields) and are breathable, allowing a limited amount of air in and out, whilst keeping the worst of the cold away from the ground lying beneath. They are very light and usually disposable, and are of a similar consistency to muslin or a jay cloth. Others are more substantial, made from a woven polyethylene, and are similar to those you might see used in gardens as a bedding for rockeries and woodchip surfaces.
How do they work?
The permeable nature of the fleece allows limited light and moisture to penetrate, ensuring that the cushion of warmer air underneath limits the damage the cold air might do. As they are made of a woven material, they do hold a certain amount of water, and this can be an issue when the time comes for them to be moved due to the resulting increase in weight.
It’s important to remember that there are scenarios in which Frost Covers are not an appropriate tool for Clerks of the Courses to use. If the ground is already frozen, or has been subjected to significant wear and tear that has opened up the turf during previous fixtures, covering up might only insulate the cold that’s already inside and be of no use whatsoever. Equally, weather forecasts can change from hour to hour in the run up to a fixture and, as there can be no guarantee of success, it’s very much a judgement call rather than an exact science as to whether to use Frost Covers.
How long do they need to be on the ground for?
This can depend on a number of factors, among them the wind chill factor, prevailing or current weather patterns, the long term weather forecast and the wear and tear already in the ground. If snow forms a part of the forecast, there is the added consideration of the weight of the snow that will need to be cleared from on top of the covers before they can be lifted off the ground they have been protecting.
How much do they cost to use?
This depends largely upon when the decision to deploy them is made, as well as how big an area of track it is that needs to be covered. It usually takes a day to put Frost Covers down and another day to take them back up, but in the middle of winter, fixtures might begin around midday, so getting a full track uncovered will need a bigger team of workers to complete the task in just a morning. Typically, it costs around £8,000 to £10,000 per fixture to cover the whole of an average sized racecourse with Frost Covers. It’s for this reason that they tend only to be used at higher profile fixtures, where important races are being run and are likely to be part of the broadcast schedule for terrestrial television.
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