Plumpton called off due to waterlogging after morning rain

Despite passing an initial morning inspection, Plumpton’s BetGoodwin Sussex National meeting was abandoned on Sunday due to worsening conditions.

Officials announced a precautionary inspection for 8.30am ahead of one of the track’s most high-profile fixtures of the season due to the forecast of heavy rain overnight.

While 25mm of rain fell, racing was initially given the green light. However, less than two hours later, the meeting was called off due to waterlogging.

Clerk of the course Marcus Waters said: “We were predicted five millimetres of rain between 8.30am and midday, which we thought we could handle, but we were already on 7.5 millimetres just before 10am.

“That much rain in a short space of time has left us with a few areas of false ground and we didn’t think it was safe anymore.

“We’re very disappointed. At 8.30am, we felt we had a good chance with the forecast how it was, but we got more rain than expected and it’s pushed us over the edge.

“It’s always a hard decision and it would have been the same whatever meeting it was. We have our processes and it was just unfortunate that it’s happened on a big day.”

Following a Saturday without any jumps or afternoon action, National Hunt racing did get the go-ahead at Chepstow and Naas.

Chepstow opted to take another look after an initial precautionary check at 7.30am and, with temperatures rising, the seven-race card did pass a second inspection at 9am, while the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle is the feature event on a quality card at Naas.

A 7.30am inspection was called at the Irish track due to the threat of snow, but that failed to materialise.

Brendan Sheridan, clerk of the course for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “We had no snow overnight, we’ve had 11 millimetres of rain and the ground is now soft, soft to heavy in places.”

Further interruptions to the racing programme appear almost certain in the coming days, though, with more snow and freezing temperatures forecast.

On Monday, the jumps meeting at Ayr is subject to a precautionary inspection at 7am due to the threat of snow and temperatures as low as minus 2C, while officials at Ludlow will also inspect at 7am ahead of their fixture, with two inches of snow laying on the track on Sunday morning.

Leicester’s Tuesday card has already been abandoned due to waterlogging.