Racing once again hit by bad weather

THIS afternoon’s meetings at Chepstow and Fakenham have both been abandoned due to waterlogging. Redcar’s meeting was abandoned yesterday due to the unfit state of the course.

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 also been made.

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.”

CALL To Mind will begin his season in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury on April 21.

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old has the potential to develop into a leading stayer and will test his claims in a race run as the Dubai Dubty Free Finest Surprise Stakes.

The Galileo colt was last seen losing narrowly in a Group Two in France over one-mile-seven-furlongs, which given his dam, Memory, won the Cherry Hinton, was a fair accomplishment.

“I think Call To Mind will be going for the John Porter so we should have a few nice runners at Newbury,” said John Warren, racing manager to The Queen, who owns and bred Call To Mind.

“It is a big leap to think you are a Gold Cup horse, as who knows what a Gold Cup horse is until they become one?

“He will be aimed at the staying races and then, hopefully, to see if he is good enough to prove he can go to Ascot if he is up to it. I think he is quite an important staying horse.

“He has a lot of talent and has done well over the winter. He looks marvellous.”

FORMER smart Flat performer Pallasator won the Grade Two Underwriting Exchange Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

There was little confidence behind the nine-year-old in the market and he was sent off at 12-1 against several rivals who had run well at Cheltenham, including Martin Pipe winner Blow By Blow.

However, the finish was between two horses who skipped Cheltenham, in Pallasator and Jessica Harrington’s Jetz.

Pallasator and Davy Russell would have been happy the pace was steady throughout in testing ground and he strolled clear in the straight, with the race seemingly in the bag, only to slow right up coming to the last. However, he picked up again to win.