Torrential rainfall wipes out another Doncaster meeting on Friday

Doncaster has been forced to cancel Friday's jumps meeting and prospects for Saturday look slim with the forecast of another day of rain.

A 2.30pm inspection on Wednesday left no choice but to cancel Friday's meeting and there is a 3.30pm inspection on Thursday to decide Saturday's fate.

The BHA has reacted to the potential losses by adding an all-weather meeting at Lingfield on Saturday afternoon with six races slated but with potential to expand to eight if races divide.

The BHA statement added: "This is due to the potential for existing turf fixtures to be lost in light of the current weather forecast, and also in response to higher than normal elimination rates at AWT fixtures in recent weeks."

Entries close at noon on Thursday with declarations by 10am on Friday.

Saturday's meetings at Newbury and Newcastle face a forecast overnight frost along with Carlisle on Sunday where fleeces have been deployed on the whole of the chase course with minus three forecast.

Lingfield's jumps track was unraceable with standing water on Wednesday ahead of its scheduled meeting next Tuesday.

Doncaster's clerk of the course Roderick Duncan put figures to Town Moor's troubles as he said: "We have had 156mm of rain in November and 69mm since the November Handicap meeting was lost."

Rain had already swept away the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy on October 26 as Doncaster and South Yorkshire has been hit by monsoon conditions with serious flooding.

Doncaster: inspection at 3.30pm on Thursday for Saturday's meetingCredit: Christopher Furlong

Duncan added: "We are inspecting at 3.30 on Thursday for Saturday at which time most of the rain is forecast to have fallen.

"The forecast is for another 9-10mm and possibly a little bit more according to some forecasts. It is forecast dry on Friday and Saturday and it would have to have a seriously significant impact to get racing on."

The course's groundstaff has been working around the clock to get the track raceable since the golf course flooded over a four-acre area with the surface water running across the track.

Duncan added: "We have been pumping water off the track for a few weeks, working 24 hours a day but every time it rains it builds up again.

"We have staff who have worked here 40 years and never known anything like it – last year we were praying for rain!"

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