Newcastle and Clonmel get all-clear as Warwick abandons due to frozen ground

Thursday's meetings at Newcastle and Clonmel will go ahead as planned after passing morning inspections, although Warwick was forced to abandon after temperatures plummeted to -7C.

Officials at Newcastle twice moved back the time of the inspection before the fixture was finally given the all-clear at 10am. The seven-race card started at 12.12 and the ground is described as good to soft, soft in places.

Clerk of the course Eloise Quayle said on Sky Sports Racing: "We're at about 2C now and it did follow the pattern of the forecast and we've ended up being in a good place.

"We should have minimal snow with a very light dusting, but as we all know it can all change.

"Most of the track has been raceable and there's no frost in the ground whatsoever where we've got a really good grass cover, it was just as the temperatures dropped it gave us a bit of a fright."

Earlier, Clonmel passed its inspection after the ground was found to be free of frost.

Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said: "Following an inspection at Clonmel this morning racing goes ahead. The ground remains soft, soft to heavy in places. The track is currently free of frost and fog but the forecast remains cold with a chance of freezing fog and wintry showers."

Temperatures at Warwick were much lower and the fixture, which was due to feature a £30,000 Listed mares' novice chase, was called off before the scheduled 8am inspection.

Clerk of the course Tom Ryall said: "It was a pretty straightforward decision this morning as it's frozen underneath the sheets. We were only getting to 1C at midday, so there's no chance of significant improvement. Unfortunately the weather has beaten us and I'd imagine we won't be the last over the next couple of days.

"We covered 50 per cent of the track but the temperatures have got too cold for the first sheets to do the job. It's a little bit frustrating as the forecast was wrong for the second night running. We were forecast 0C on Tuesday night and it got to -4C and -2C last night and we got to -7C."

There are no problems reported at the day's other fixtures at Taunton, where the ground is good, and Chelmsford, where the evening all-weather meeting starts at 4.30.

Navan's fixture on Saturday is subject to an inspection at 12pm on Friday due to the threat of frost.

An inspection for Carlisle's meeting on Sunday has been arranged for 8.30am on Friday. The course has been frozen for the past two days with temperatures reaching as low as -9C.

Bangor has called an 8am inspection on raceday for its meeting on Friday, the same day Cheltenham and Doncaster's two-day December meetings get under way. Cheltenham are inspecting at 7.30am on Friday and Doncaster will inspect at 9am with overnight temperatures due to drop to -3C.

A fixture at Wolverhampton has been added to the calendar on the same day, with another all-weather meeting brought in at Newcastle on Sunday.

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