Warwick© Photo Healy Racing
Today's meeting at Warwick has been abandoned due to a frozen track.
A precautionary inspection had been called by clerk of the course Tom Ryall for 8am, however, that was brought forward.
Just after 7am Ryall and his team of staff were able to make an early call as temperatures had dropped to a bitterly cold minus 7.4C overnight, meaning there was very little chance of a thaw occurring given the maximum daytime temperature predicted was just 2C.
Racing goes ahead at Taunton, where, despite the mercury dropping down to around minus 2.5C, the forecasted 4/5C for after daybreak means there is little concern.
Newcastle had originally called a precautionary inspection for 7.30am but that was subsequently pushed back until 8.30am with patches of ground frozen under the frost sheets.
Following that first check clerk of the course Eloise Quayle called a further look for 10am, when temperatures are due to get above freezing.
There is currently a leaf frost under the covers.
Cheltenham’s big two-day meeting hangs in the balance with a precautionary inspection called for 7.30am on Friday while Bangor’s meeting on Friday needs to pass an 8am precautionary inspection.
Meanwhile, Navan’s card on Saturday is subject to a 12pm precautionary inspection on Friday.
Clerk of the course Paddy Graffin said: “The ground at Navan is yielding to soft. We will have fresh ground on the hurdle track on Saturday however due to the forecast for widespread frost over the coming days there will a precautionary inspection at 12pm on Friday to determine the prospect for racing on Saturday.”
