Cheltenham, Doncaster, Newcastle & Hereford meetings abandoned because of frost
- Published
Racing had taken place at Cheltenham on Friday
Cheltenham's Saturday meeting has been called off because of frozen ground.
The card, due to feature the December Gold Cup and International Hurdle, did not pass a morning inspection.
Officials had deployed frost covers across the course, and Friday's fixture went ahead, but temperatures plummeted to -5C overnight.
Racing at Doncaster and Hereford was also abandoned, while Newcastle's fixture was called off minutes before the first race was due to start.
Sunday's fixture at Punchestown, where Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs was set to run in the John Durkan Chase, was another casualty and is likely to be rescheduled.
The team at Cheltenham had spent three hours putting down the covers at the Gloucestershire track after racing on Friday, to no avail.
"Unfortunately we have got areas of frozen ground under the covers," said clerk of the course John Pullin.
"At least we managed to race on Friday. At this stage no decisions have been made about rescheduling any races."
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