Editor's note 1.15pm - Sannat council said later on Saturday that it will shift the race to 4pm and plan future races in the evening. 

Horses will be made to race on searing tarmac in the July heat on Sunday, with Sannat’s local council ignoring a request to reschedule the event by a few hours to after sunset.

The Gozitan races, held annually to mark the feast of Santa Margarita, will see animals race down Sannat’s main thoroughfare, starting at 2pm.

Weather forecasters expect it to be a hot and sunny day with temperatures of 34 degrees Celcius in the shade and a UV index of 10. Humidity is likely to be above 80 per cent.

Horses that get overheated can collapse, go into convulsions and die.

While local laws forbid horse-drawn carriages from operating between 1pm and 4pm in July and August, to ensure animals are not subjected to undue stress due to the summer heat, that law does not apply to horse racing.

Sannat councillors last month sought the blessing of Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina to hold the annual event, telling Bezzina in an email that previous commissioners had issued no objection letters for the races.

Bezzina did otherwise, however. In an email dated June 30 and seen by Times of Malta, the animal welfare commissioner advised organisers to reschedule the event to after 6.30pm, to ensure easy water access, forbid whipping of horses, provide shelter for the animals and ensure a vet and emergency carrier are present on-site.

Times of Malta is informed that the local council did not reply to those requests.

The event was still being advertised with a 1.30pm start as of Saturday. Rules forbid whips and "any type of animal abuse" but make no reference to the starting time, shelter, or water provision. 

The event programme includes a forward by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri – who previously served as junior minister for animal welfare – in which he pledges the ministry’s “backing and support” to ensure the event happens “in line with imposed regulations”.

Anton Refalo, the minister currently responsible for animal welfare, is also from Gozo. 

Sannat council's online advertising for the event appears to have backfired, however: comments posted beneath the council's Facebook post were overwhelmingly critical as of Saturday morning. 

"This is abuse not tradition," one wrote. "First race should be all those involved running the course barefoot." 

"I'd like to see you running in this heat," wrote another. "Shameful. We use the excuse of tradition to remain stuck in the past, with no progress. This is abuse and you should know better."

This is not the first time that concerns about horse races held in the summer heat have been flagged by welfare activists: similar concerns about races held in Rabat to mark the Mnarja feast in late June prompted authorities to reschedule that event to 5pm to help horses cope with the heat.