Newcastle abandoned as cold snap begins to bite

Catterick on Wednesday and Carlisle on Thursday must both pass inspections to go ahead.

Racecourses are bracing themselves for the latest cold snap to cause disruption to the fixture list with Catterick on Wednesday and Carlisle on Thursday facing inspections after Newcastle’s meeting on Tuesday was abandoned due to snow.

Officials at Catterick will stage a precautionary inspection at 8am ahead of racing with the forecast suggesting temperatures could dip as low as -5C or -6C.

While in the afternoon it could reach 4C, that may not be enough to save the card if the mercury dips as low as suggested.

Prospects already look bleak ahead of Carlisle’s meeting on Thursday.

The course is currently unraceable following a -6C frost overnight and while it may rise to 4C at some stage, further heavy frosts are forecasted.

An inspection will be held at 3pm on Wednesday to see if there is any prospect of racing going ahead.

Newcastle’s clerk of the course Eloise Quayle faced an easy decision ahead of an 8am inspection with the track covered in snow in freezing temperatures meaning an early call was made.

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