Tracks want 'horrendous' storm woes to end before next week's meetings - but cold snap is on the way

Frost is forecast to be the next challenge for Britain's racecourses following a week dealing with wet weather that claimed Saturday's Premier meeting at Sandown.

The track's big Saturday card had been due to provide the main coverage on ITV4 as the second Premier fixture in Britain, but was the meeting was cancelled on Friday after 34mm of rain from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning left the track waterlogged.

Colder conditions will take hold from Sunday and freezing temperatures are expected at tracks overnight.

Exeter has already deployed frost fleeces in vulnerable areas in the back straight and on the chase course for its meeting on Tuesday. Temperatures could dip as low as -3C at the Devon course, with the going currently heavy, waterlogged in places.

It is also heavy, waterlogged in places at Leicester for its fixture on Wednesday, with frost sheets deployed on Friday in shaded and vulnerable areas.

The track lost its big Christmas meeting due to waterlogging, but clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson is hopeful the card will go ahead.

"The weather was horrendous at the start of the week and that put us on the back foot – we had around 60mm of rain over new year," he said on Friday afternoon. "But we've had a reasonable 24 hours and have a positive forecast. We hope it'll start drying up each day and in a few days hopefully see big improvements.

"Another challenge is frosts, but they shouldn't be major. We've put sheets down on all the vulnerable areas and it should be fine. We have a good covering of grass and while it's been wet, it should be in very good condition."

Huntingdon is flooded after the Alconbury Brook (foreground) overflowed

Huntingdon's meeting next Friday is already under threat and must pass a 9am inspection on Monday, with two-thirds of the course flooded.

While all critical racing buildings at the Cambridgeshire track are free from floodwater and a dry spell is forecast, Monday's inspection will assess any damage to the track and fences.

Read these next:

Horses trained by Paul Nicholls evacuated from stables after flooding at Ditcheat yard 

'It's gone through all of the buildings' - Stratford and Worcester submerged as stormy weather continues 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.