Jodami trainer Peter Beaumont retires

The North Yorkshire trainer will not renew his licence at the end of the month, and will instead hand over the reins to his assistant Patrick Holmes. "I'm 75, things get harder and any kind of work is harder," confirmed Beaumont.

"My licence runs out in a fortnight. I might have a runner or two before then but we've been held up like everybody else. We've had some good horses for the size of the yard as I've never had more than 30 (horses]."

Jodami was the leading staying chaser of his generation, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup in Ireland three times.

Other stars trained by Beaumont at Foulrice Farm in Brandsby, near York, include Hussard Collonges, Young Kenny, JJ Henry and Bobby Grant.

Beaumont added: "Jodami was such a nice horse to deal with. I bought him privately in Ireland and he was super from day one. Winning the Gold Cup was very special, as were his three Irish Hennessys too. The Irish took to him more than people did over here.

"Jodami stayed with me until he died at the age of 23. He had a happy retirement. He was a great horse to have."

Hussard Collonges gave Beaumont a second Cheltenham Festival success when winning the Royal & SunAlliance Chase in 2002, but a subsequent injury restricted his career. "He fractured his pelvis at Wetherby and was never the same again," reflected the trainer.

Young Kenny completed a hat-trick of big-race triumphs in the spring of 1999, taking the Greenalls Grand National Trial at Haydock, the Midlands National at Uttoxeter and the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. He also won the Becher Chase at Aintree in November 2000, but suffered a fatal injury at Haydock the following February. "He was a great horse," Beaumont recalled.

The cold weather, meanwhile, is continuing to disrupt the racing schedule, with today's meeting at Wetherby the latest to fall victim to the elements. The fixture was abandoned yesterday due to snow following an 8am inspection.

"Nothing has really changed over the past couple of days," said clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson. "About 50 per cent of the track is still covered in half an inch to an inch of snow. Although the forecast is marginally better for today with some light rain, the wind chill is still very low. I think it will take a couple more days for the snow to clear so there was no point in prolonging the decision."

Huntingdon remain optimistic that today's National Hunt meeting will go ahead – despite announcing a further inspection for 8am this morning.

The card was originally scheduled for yesterday but was moved forward 24 hours in the hope conditions would sufficiently improve. After checking the course at 3pm yesterday, clerk of the course Andrew Morris reported progress – although more is needed. "We are going to have another look at 8am as although we are continuing to thaw, we are not quite there yet," said Morris. "It's plus 4C at the moment and is only due to get down to 2C overnight. Hopefully we'll make it, but we'll see where we are in the morning."