Horse Racing: Lingfield and Exeter abandon all-weather cards
The big freeze across Britain and Ireland has claimed several meetings and fixtures and has disappointed thousands of horse racing fans in the country. Another meeting that was abandoned because of the extreme weather conditions in the region is the Lingfield’s
Thursday all-weather card. It has been revealed that the meeting was called off by the officials of the racecourse due to heavy snow at the course.
However, the officials say that they are certain that the Friday fixture will not be postponed or cancelled. This meeting was the replacement for a fixture that was also claimed by the harsh frosty weather. An inspection was conducted at 6 a.m. in the morning,
after which it was decided that the meeting could not take place at Lingfield. Neil Mackenzie Ross, the clerk of the course, is confident that the Friday all-weather card is not in doubt and it is definite that the meeting will kick off on Friday. Talking
to the correspondents he said, “We are buried under a foot of snow so it’s all hands to the pump once again to clear the track and site.” He went on to say, “We’d be very hopeful for tomorrow as, although it is still snowing now, it is supposed to be a clear
night and clear tomorrow.”
After the abandonment of this fixture, the racing event that will be taking place in Britain and Ireland on Thursday is the Wolverhampton meeting. On the other hand, the Exeter officials have also called off their Friday card. They made an announcement about
the abandonment of the event on Wednesday due to the frozen track. Barry Johnson, the clerk of the course, inspected the conditions of the course at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, after which he said that the weather forecast does not allow him to give a go ahead for
Friday’s meeting at Exeter.
The clerk was reported as saying while talking to the correspondents, “It’s frozen solid and we’ve not got about -1 degree celcius today. It is now -2 degree celcius and its forecast to be -4 degree clecius tonight. We won’t get above minus tomorrow and
the Met Office tells me that tomorrow night will be -7 degree celcius.” The clerk added in utter disappointment, “There is no hope whatsoever, we have been forced to abandon.” An inspection at Chepstow is alsoscheduled to take place at 10 a.m. to discuss the
prospects of its Saturday’s meetings.
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