LINGFIELD BOSSES TO FACE INQUIRY An inquiry will be held by the British Jockey Club`s disciplinary committee into the controversial abandonment of Lingfield Park`s all-weather meeting on December 30th, it was announced today. At the time officials at Lingfield and the course`s owners, Arena Leisure Plc, came in for strong criticism after the surface was found to be unsafe following complaints from the riders who had arrived at the start for the first race, although no official inspection had taken place before racing. The state of the course provoked a strong reaction from trainers, with Hugh Collingridge criticising Arena Leisure`s running of the track and calling for the surface to be dug up and replaced. Six runners went down to the start of the opening Angel Nursery but Martin Dwyer, rider of Sooty Time, and Simon Whitworth, on Violent, dismounted at the stalls and began trying to kick their heels into the Equitrack surface. They called for the stewards to come to the start and inspect for themselves and after a conference lasting 10 minutes, the field returned to the paddock. Soon afterwards the stewards announced that the eight-race meeting had been called off. On a date still to be set, the committee will consider whether or not Arena Leisure Plc, the managing executive of Lingfield, have committed a breach of Rule 80(ii)(a) in that the inspection protocol was not followed by the racecourse executive after clerk of the course Fergus Cameron`s examination of the track at 6.00 on the morning of racing, when it was found that the pad - the layer immediately beneath the top layer of sand - on the all-weather track was frozen. The committee will also consider whether or not Arena Leisure have committed a breach of Rule 220(iii) in respect of their failure to keep owners, trainers, jockeys and the general public fully informed of the state of the course and the chances of racing taking place.
