Weekend jumps action foiled by weather

There will be no turf racing in Britain until Sunday at the earliest after tomorrow’s meeting at Doncaster was abandoned.

Today’s meeting on Town Moor was cancelled on Wednesday, but clerk of the course Roderick Duncan was hoping for rain tomorrow.

However, those hopes have been dashed and Duncan officially called off the card following a noon inspection yesterday.

“Unfortunately the forecast is saying there’s no chance of rain now and we might possibly have snow until Monday,” said Duncan.

Duncan also looks after Southwell, due to race today.

He said: “I’d be reasonably confident of racing going ahead. We’ve had horses galloping on the track for the previous two days.”

Tomorrow’s meeting at Newbury has also been abandoned.

After losing today’s card on Wednesday, officials at the track were due to inspect yesterday afternoon, but clerk of the course Richard Osgood made an earlier call with no chance of the course being fit for action.

Leopardstown’s Sunday and Monday cards were also called off yesterday morning.

Kelso’s feature meeting tomorrow had already been abandoned with Navan cancelled too.

Today’s meeting at Chelmsford was also abandoned due to snow.

An inspection had been called for 1pm, but clerk of the course Andy Waitt made an early call with a further check planned for 1pm today ahead of tomorrow’s meeting.

Yesterday’s meeting at Newcastle was another abandoned following further snow overnight.

Kempton’s evening meeting, set to stage the “Road To The Kentucky Derby” Conditions Stakes, also succumbed to the snow.

The snow has also forced officials at Lingfield to call a precautionary inspection for 8am on Friday ahead of the afternoon meeting.

Huntingdon’s meeting on Sunday looks unlikely to go ahead, with an inspection having been called for 8am today.