Heavy rain plays havoc with racing in UK The all-weather meeting at Wolverhampton is the only remaining meeting in the UK after all four turf fixtures were cancelled due to waterlogging. Chepstow and Fakenham were the first casualties this morning, while Market Rasen and Plumpton were also abandoned due to the inclement weather. Fakenham inspected at 7am but heavy rain overnight meant it was an easy decision. Up to 10 millimetres had fallen by then leaving patches of unsafe ground and with the forecast suggesting the rain was set in for the day, officials had no option. A tweet on Fakenham's official feed read: "RACING ABANDONED due to heavy rain overnight and waterlogged track. "Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. We are very disappointed, however horse and jockey safety must come first." Chepstow were due to inspect at 7.30am but shortly after 7am a decision had been made also. A total of 25 millimetres of rain fell overnight meaning there was no chance the course could recover. They tweeted: "Today's race meeting has been abandoned after 25mm of rain overnight left the course waterlogged." However, as they were expecting a big Bank Holiday crowd they will still open the gates and the Big Top family entertainment will go ahead free of charge. Market Rasen was also lost today due to waterlogging, while tomorrow's meeting at Pontefract is another casualty. Plumpton's first inspection at 8am proved inconclusive and a second check was called for 10am. The rain stopped in Sussex at 6am and while showers were forecast a drier afternoon was in prospect.
