Warwick latest casualty of cold snap

PA Sport Reporters
December 8, 2022 7:57 am

Newcastle pushes inspection back to 8.30am.

Thursday afternoon’s meeting at Warwick has been abandoned due to a frozen track.

A precautionary inspection had been called by clerk of the course Tom Ryall for 8am, however, that was brought forward.

Just after 7am Ryall and his team of staff were able to make an early call as temperatures had dropped to a bitterly cold minus 7.4C overnight, meaning there was very little chance of a thaw occurring given the maximum daytime temperature predicted was just 2C.

Racing goes ahead at Taunton, where, despite the mercury dropping down to around minus 2.5C, the forecasted 4/5C for after daybreak means there is little concern.

Newcastle had originally called a precautionary inspection for 7.30am but that has subsequently been pushed back until 8.30am with patches of ground frozen under the frost sheets.

The going update read: “Currently a leaf frost under the covers with temperatures down to minus 1.3C overnight last night. Forecast to go above freezing from 10am today. Cold and bright with a chance of light wintery
showers through the afternoon. Frost sheets deployed and will stay down until after daybreak.”

Racing goes ahead in Ireland on Thursday, with Clonmel passing its inspection.

Cheltenham’s big two-day meeting hangs in the balance with a precautionary inspection called for 7.30am on Friday while Bangor’s meeting on Friday needs to pass an 8am precautionary inspection.