Ascot called off Friday afternoon's National Hunt fixture at Ascot has been abandoned because of snow. The Berkshire track was hit with between three to four inches of overnight snow, prompting course officials to move forward their proposed 8am inspection. Ascot are also due to stage a valuable card on Saturday, featuring the BGC Long Walk Hurdle and the Ladbroke. However, a 4pm inspection has already been called to assess the prospects for Saturday's meeting. Clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "It was a pretty straightforward decision to abandon on Friday. "It's been windy and the snow has drifted. There was no way we could get that volume of snow off the covers in time. "We've got a little bit more snow to come, so we are going to take a look at 4pm this afternoon. "It won't be easy to race tomorrow, but it may be possible. "We need to assess things in the cold light of day."
