Ascot card the biggest to fall after cold snap

Published on Friday 18 December 2009 23:25

ASCOT'S big double-header has been snowed off as the recent cold snap hit the racing schedule.

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Yesterday's meeting was abandoned early in the morning, while today's valuable card, due to feature the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle, was called off at 9.30am yesterday.

Yesterday's action at Uttoxeter and Downpatrick survived early-morning inspections, but today's National Hunt card at Newcastle has already fallen by the wayside and Haydock will inspect at 8am.

Newcastle had originally announced a 7.30am inspection this morning, but decided to give up the ghost at 4pm yesterday afternoon with conditions not improving.

Clerk of the course James Armstrong said: "We've been banging our heads against a brick wall all day really. Temperatures have never really risen above freezing all day apart from hitting plus one a couple of times. The forecast says it will get to minus four overnight and some are even saying it could get down to minus six, so we need a miracle really and that's not going to happen."

Today's meeting at Navan must also overcome a 7.30am inspection, while Carlisle's meeting on Sunday has to pass a 2.30pm inspection this afternoon.

Ascot was hit with between three to four inches of overnight snow, prompting officials to move forward their proposed 8am inspection ahead of yesterday's meeting.

Although frost covers were deployed over the entirety of the track, clerk of the course Chris Stickels was soon resigned to the loss of yesterday's card.

And while a 4pm inspection was initially called to assess prospects for today, Stickels instead felt it prudent to draw stumps this morning.

"There is so much snow on the track that it is going to be impossible to move it all," he explained last night.

"It's obviously very disappointing as we were expecting an extremely big crowd for what was a great card."

Haydock officials are optimistic of passing an 8am precautionary inspection ahead of today's meeting.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said yesterday: "We would be fine today, but there is another overnight forecast of around minus three.

"There is a scattering of snow on the track, but frost is the first issue.

"At this stage, we are quietly confident of getting through this."

Navan are also banking on a milder night ahead of today's fixture, which is subject to a 7.30am inspection.