3 minute read

Doncaster's seven-race jumps card on Thursday has been abandoned due to a late deluge of snow.

The course survived an 8am inspection which was called due to the yellow weather warning for snow, but the weather took a significant turn approaching the first.

A secondary inspection was called while runners for the opening 12.55 contest were in the parade ring.

Both jockeys that were due to ride in the opening race and clerk of the Paul Barker headed out onto the track but as the heavy snow continued to fall at Doncaster, Barker was forced to cancel with the course deemed unsafe.

Speaking to Sky Sports Racing's Luke Harvey, Barker said: "It's very disappointing."

"This morning, I walked it, and it was nice, we'd had no rain, it was dry overnight. I walked it again at 10.30 with the stewards' panel chair and we just started to get a bit of sleet and the snow just started to settle a bit but nothing that would ever concern us."

"Jockeys were arriving and going out saying everything was all good and fine. Trainers were all good but then three-quarters of an hour before the first there was just a heavy downpour of snow."

"It never really stopped, and people weren't happy. We then had the inquiry and there were concerns raised by everybody really."

"Whilst doing the inquiry I spoke to the weather stations for an update, and they said you've probably got another three-quarters of an hour of this snow. The temperatures aren't going to increase and even if it stops, we weren't going to thaw."

"It's just unfortunate. You just can't beat mother nature."

Friday's jumps card at Bangor has also been cancelled due to waterlogging. Officials had scheduled a 4pm inspection on Thursday afternoon but were forced to make the call to abandon early with two furlongs of the course after the winning post waterlogged.

Kempton's Friday fixture will have to pass a 7.30am inspection.