Hexham meeting abandoned due to frozen track
Wednesday’s meeting at Hexham has been called off due to a frozen track. The conditions were expected to improve in the morning, thus the officials decided to make the final call after an intensive inspection at 8am.
However, things did change after temperature remained below the freezing level after a lengthy period of time. Therefore, the administration cancelled the meeting without going out for inspection.
Clerk of the course James Armstrong tweeted: "@HexhamRaces has been ABANDONED due to frost. Been below freezing since 4pm Tues. (14hrs getting in) Today's temp only up to 1c @ best."
The racing fraternity is quite worried, as the bad weather is forcing several cancellations these days. The situation was equally poor last winter, when the inhospitable weather became the reason of numerous such disappointing incidents.
Hexham was due to stage many mega meetings this afternoon. A lot of high-quality horses reached Hexham in search of glory, but the weather had allowed nothing to go on.
The Quail Maiden Hurdle was first race of the day. No Deal, Miss Lucinda V. Russell’s charge, was enjoying the highest odds, followed by Native Court and Talkin Sence.
Other events on the day were: Grouse Beginners' Chase, Plover Handicap Chase, Snipe Handicap Chase, Partridge 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle, and Woodcock Handicap Chase, Pheasant Handicap Hurdle.
Not only Hexham, the latest cold snap has also made things poor at Leicester. Due to freezing temperatures, the officials at Leicester decided to abandon the meeting. The weather is likely to stay inhospitable in the coming few days, and therefore Thursday’s
meetings at Huntingdon and Ludlow have been cancelled.
Huntingdon was due to host the Grade 2, Betfred Peterborough Chase on Thursday. Showing disappointment over the conditions, Sulekha Varma, clerk of the course, stated:
"We've got down to -4C overnight and it was the same the previous night and the biggest problem is that temperatures aren't due to get to zero. The frost has got in under the sheets in places and there's no prospect of improvement."
Taking about the chances of any rearrangements, she added, "That is something that now needs to be discussed. We will just have to wait see but hopefully those discussions will be taking place."
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