How long will the cold snap last and when will jump racing resume?

There is no set date for when the cold snap will end, but on the Met Office website the yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in East Anglia, south-east England, north-east England and the north of Scotland are in place until Thursday.

However, according to the BBC, forecasters expect the icy temperatures to last until the weekend.

It will be Thursday at the earliest before jump racing resumes. Exeter's seven-race card was called off on Tuesday and there is an inspection planned at 7.30am for the same day's card at Ffos Las.

How are the weekend meetings looking?

The first day of Ascot's two-day Long Walk meeting was called off on Wednesday afternoon after officials brought forward a planned inspection for Thursday morning, and there are major doubts over whether Saturday's card will go ahead.

Temperatures dropped to -4.5.C on Sunday night at the Berkshire track, and sub-zero temperatures were expected each night before Friday's card and into the weekend.

Officials at Haydock will inspect at 8am on Thursday before Saturday's big-race card. The track was frozen on Monday morning and has been since last Wednesday, with sub-zero temperatures also expected every night up to the weekend. The course is due to stage the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase on Saturday.

Newcastle, which is scheduled to stage Saturday's other jumps card in Britain, is frozen, while Fakenham is frozen in places ahead of its fixture on Sunday. In reality, the chances of seeing jumping action in Britain at the weekend appear slim.

Punchestown's Grade 1 John Durkan Chase card has been rescheduled for Monday, December 19 after being cancelled on Sunday due to a frozen track.

Are there concerns for racing at Christmas?

At the moment, no. Forecasters are hoping the icy temperatures will be behind us by the start of next week, and BBC weather reports suggest temperatures rise in the week leading up to Christmas Day.

That will be music to the ears for racing fans, with a festive period of blockbuster races beginning on Boxing Day with the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton, as well as the four-day Christmas meetings beginning at Leopardstown and Limerick.

A day later, the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow will be the highlight, while Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard is in line to run in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, with the Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle taking place at the same track a day later.

The year ends with the Challow Novices' Hurdle meeting at Newbury on December 31, with Cheltenham beginning 2023 with a bang with its New Year's Day fixture. Racing fans could be set for some festive crackers – should the weather play ball, that is.

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