Saturday 18 December 2010

Todays Meetings Off


Ascot's showpiece meeting featuring the BGC Long Walk Hurdle has been abandoned due to a frozen track.

Friday's fixture was also called off and even though an inspection was held at 4.30pm in the hope that conditions might have improved, there was no sign of it and clerk of the course Chris Stickels was left with an easy decision.

He said: "We've abandoned, I'm afraid. The track is frozen in places and has a light covering of snow. The temperature is minus 3C and falling, and there is no prospect of it warming up."

Stickels and his team faced the monumental task of covering the whole track earlier in the week, but it was not enough even to save the first day of the meeting.


Newcastle is also off after Gosforth Park was hit by sub-zero temperatures, with no sign of a thaw.

Clerk of the course James Armstrong said: "We've had to abandon. It was minus 7C at the coldest part of the track on Thursday night and if anything, rather than thawing it will just be getting even more into the ground. It has got in under the frost sheets, so we've no chance.

"Our next meeting is on January 11, so fingers crossed it is warmer by then."