FAMOUS FIVE

FIVE bizarre reasons why racing was, postponed, cancelled or abandoned

1 In Ghana, jockeys went on strike as authorities would not sacrifice a cow at a dangerous bend

2 Race cancelled due to being too hot — at Cheltenham in April this year!

3 A Happy Valley card was cancelled after a stray rake was left in the starting stalls

4 In 1997 the Grand National was postponed for several days following a bomb hoax

5 Races abandoned ‘because of spillage of aviation fuel on the course’ — Newbury 1992

RACE meetings at Salisbury and Epsom were abandoned this week due to, of all things, an infestation of chafer grubs. This has led to questions being asked of the British Horseracing Authority, namely, what the hell is a chafer grub”?

The pesky blighters are soil-dwelling larvae of chafer beetles that can feed on the roots of grasses. I know this because my wife says I have an unhealthy obsession with gardening.

I replied: “Where’s this stemming from petal?”

The best way to deal with chafer grubs is either by biological control or to capture one and torture him before releasing him back in the mud to warn his pals.

Salisbury’s clerk of the course Jeremy Martin confirmed sightings of both chafer grubs and badger scratchings (God knows what they taste like) on the course.

Given the grubs were first spotted at Salisbury and then later in the week at Epsom it would seem they are heading in an easterly trajectory and will shortly hit the Channel.

Hopefully the Ryder Cup in Paris won’t be affected.