Perth’s hot spell of weather will force Ascot to host the earliest race fixture in memory, with the first event commencing at a revised 9:04am timeslot.

The move comes in accordance with Racing WA’s heat policy which determines that when highs of 38°C or greater are expected, officials will take evasive action to avoid abandonment.

Considering the 38°C forecast for Ascot on Saturday with highest temperatures forecast for later in the afternoon, the meeting will now conclude at 1:44pm to avoid the worst of the heat.

Perth Racing chief executive James Oldring says whilst the change was far from ideal, the race club have been proactive to preserve racing on an entertainment and financial front.

“With the way the forecast is, this was the only window for racing to go ahead,” Oldring said.

“Gates will open at 8:30 and functions have been moved forward to an 11 to 4:30 timeslot.

“For our rostering team plus with training tracks closing early, the whole industry has been fantastic in understanding the need to do it.

“I don’t think we’ve ever started (a race meeting) this early.”

In recent months, Kununurra staged a 9:32am start on August 24 and Kalgoorlie a 9:27am commencement on October 20, though nothing on a metropolitan scale.

More than 40 years ago, the Saturday metropolitan fixture was moved forward to a similar starting time to accommodate the test match between Australia and the West Indies at the WACA.

Oldring says that negotiations have been made with Sky Racing to ensure that WA racing is afforded the best available coverage and turnover is not restricted.

“We have managed to work with Sky to find slots that work for us,” he said.

“That’s the main reason for not trying to push the races closer together and why the breaks between events are as large as they are.”

As a consequence, Narrogin’s card has slid to a 1:57pm start and will take Ascot’s vacated premium race times from the second race onwards.

+ Co-trainer Dan Pearce is not ruling $11 TABtouch elect Let’s Galahvant out of Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 Ted Van Heemst Stakes after an unflattering showing last start.

“He was an enormous run in the Railway and was probably disappointing from the run he got in the Northerly but did come out of it with a couple of little issues that we hope we’ve rectified,” Pearce said.

“I think if the same horse that ran that race in the Railway turns up, he could be right in it.

“He’s won out to the trip previously which was the question mark then. He goes there in good order, so we hope he can run a race and step towards the Perth Cup.”

For the first time in his 45-start career, he will be handled by WA’s most in-form hoop Lucy Fiore.