Freeze hits the jumps as fixtures called off
THERE will be no National Hunt racing in Britain today after fixtures at both Exeter and Leicester were abandoned yesterday morning due to frost.
Officials at Leicester had planned to inspect at 3.30pm, but with the track frozen and no prospect of sufficient improvement, an early decision was made.
Clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson said: “Unfortunately there has been little improvement.
“I was hoping last night for it not to be as cold – it wasn’t as cold as it has been considering it only went down to minus 3C last night when we have been getting minus 7C and minus 8C. But unfortunately that wasn’t enough to help us out and the frost is really set in the ground now.
“It’s been in the ground now for about nine days and unfortunately the temperatures that are forecast aren’t going to help us.”
It was a similar story at Exeter, where an inspection had been announced for 4pm. However, that was brought forward to 9am and officials had to draw stumps.
It is not only jumps fixtures which are being affected by the cold snap, with yesterday’s all-weather meeting at Kempton abandoned due to freezing fog.
The Sunbury circuit came through a 12.30pm precautionary inspection on Sunday, but a further check was announced for raceday morning, and clerk of the course Barney Clifford ultimately had no option but to call off proceedings.
He said: “It’s 8am, we’ve got freezing fog and it’s minus 5C.
“I had to wait to get the latest update from the Met Office and it’s not forecast to clear today. It might do by 3pm, but it’s worse now than it was 7.30am.
“Hopefully we should be fine for racing on Wednesday, but this looks set in for the day. Put it this way, if I was going skiing here today you wouldn’t see much!”
Darryll Holland has paid tribute to former trainer Milton Bradley after his death at the age of 88.
The two combined to enjoy great successes
with The Tatling, a sprinter claimed for £15,000 after a Catterick victory in 2002.
From that humble triumph he developed through the ranks before winning the Group Three King George Stakes at Goodwood in 2003 with Holland in the saddle.
Subsequently second in the Nunthorpe, the horse returned the following season to land the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot and finish runner up in the Nunthorpe again and the Prix de l’Abbaye.
The Tatling claimed a final career win at the ripe age of 14, mirroring the longevity of his trainer as Bradley held a licence for over half a century and was still training in 2021 – well into his octogenarian years.
His Gloucestershire stable operated under both codes and produced more than 1,000 winners, with horses such as Brevity, Grey Dolphin, Sooty Tern and Offa’s Mead flying the flag for the yard.
“What can you say about Milton? He was a great trainer and he could revive those sprinters that weren’t enjoying it,” Holland said.
“He brought them back with a new lease of life and I am indebted to him. He and The Tatling gave me some great times.”