Ascot off today & tomorrow The eargerly awaited clash of Big Buck's and Diamond Harry in the Long Walk Hurdle will not take place after officials at Ascot were left with no option but to also abandon Saturday's high-profile meeting as conditions show no signs of improving. The Berkshire course was hit with between three to four inches of overnight snow and although frost covers were deployed over the whole track, clerk of the course Chris Stickels was forced to call off today's card. Stickels soon announced a 4pm inspection to assess the prospects of racing tomorrow, for a card featuring the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle and the Ladbroke, but he has decided to make an early call. "Having had a chance to look at things in detail, and assess the weather forecast, we have decided to make an early decision and abandon the meeting," said Stickels. "There is so much snow on the track it is going to be impossible to move it all and that means we were going to need a significant thaw today, which we are not going to get." "It's obviously very disappointing as we were expecting a big crowd for what was a great card. But as soon as it became apparent things weren't going to improve enough, we thought we would call it off so everyone can make other arrangements."
