Fakenham forced to call off meeting as track fails inspection

The jumps meeting at Fakenham on Thursday has been abandoned due to a frozen track.

Officials at the Norfolk circuit made the call following an inspection on Wednesday afternoon, when the situation was considered untenable after overnight temperatures dipped to minus 5C.

Clerk of the course David Hunter said: 'We had an inspection at 2pm and we still had frost in the ground, even under the frost sheets.

'It was not safe and it was not raceable and it's only going to get colder as the afternoon progresses.

'It could dip to minus 4C overnight, so it's only going to get worse, rather than better.'

Officials at Warwick have called a precautionary inspection for 8am on Thursday ahead of their afternoon meeting.

Forecasts suggest the temperature could dip below freezing at the track overnight, with cold weather also forecast for Thursday.

In light of that prediction, a morning check has been deemed necessary, although frost covers are in place on vulnerable areas of the track.

The going is reported to be soft at present.