Leicester off and Newcastle in doubt

The cold snap has hit today's racing, with Leicester already off and Newcastle's meeting hinging on a 7.45 a.m. inspection.

David McAllister, clerk of the course at Gosforth Park, said: "I have just been out on the course and there are still traces of frost and snow on the track but we have had a good day today with plenty of sunshine.

"However, the temperature is nearly at freezing again now so we have decided to hold an inspection at 7.45 tomorrow morning.

"If the forecast is right we might be in with a chance. It says that we will get an air frost of minus two or three tonight and a ground frost of minus five.

"But the forecast also says it should be raining by 6.30 in the morning, preceded by sleet or snow and it is expected to get gradually warmer.

"The crucial time is between 6.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m. when we'll just have to wait and see how much snow we get, but the rain is supposed to take the snow away by midday."

Leicester was abandoned due to the combined effects of frost and waterlogging.

After inspecting the track yesterday afternoon, clerk of the course Nick Lees said: "It's not good news - we've abandoned. It's still frozen in places and it's waterlogged in places.

"There is another whopping frost forecast for tonight of 3C and that will put us back again.

"We could have waited until tomorrow morning but we would just have been wasting everyone's time."

It is the 14th jumps meeting to be lost during the current season.

Sedgefield will hold an inspection this afternoon to determine whether tomorrow's meeting can go ahead.

Clerk of the course John Cleverly said: "At the moment we have some frost and some snow so we will have an inspection at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.

"The forecast is for snow followed by rain and then it is to get warmer.

"It all depends on what happens tonight but I would have to say prospects are only 50-50 at this stage."

Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course at Kempton Park, also due to race tomorrow, said: "There are no problems at the moment. We've escaped the frost."