Newcastle forced to call off Sunday fixture

Newcastle’s jumps meeting on Sunday has been abandoned meaning the only action in the UK will take place at Chelmsford.

With Exeter’s Sunday card being called off on Friday, thankfully foresight from the British Horseracing Authority hastily arranging a new fixture at Chelmsford will prevent a blank day.

A post on Newcastle’s X account read: “Unfortunately, we have had to abandon racing tomorrow due to the track being waterlogged with some false patches and no prospect of sufficient improvement in the next 24 hours. This is following 13mm rain in the last 24 hours and 56mm rain in the past week.”

The meeting at Navan in Ireland, due to feature the Boyne Hurdle and the Ten Up Novice Chase survived a 3pm inspection on Saturday.

The loss of Newcastle and Exeter adds to Uttoxeter on Saturday and Sandown and Bangor on Friday to the recent wet spell.

Warwick’s Kingmaker Novices’ Chase meeting survived an inspection on Saturday morning while Newbury did not inspect but the ground is very testing.