Lingfield falls to the freeze after second inspection

Racing at Lingfield this afternoon has been abandoned following a second inspection.

With high-profile jumps meetings at Ascot and Haydock already off, along with further National Hunt cards at Newcastle and Fairyhouse, Lingfield’s all-weather fixture was set to be the main attraction.

Temperatures dipped as low as minus 8C at the Surrey circuit this week, and while clerk of the course George Hill declared the track raceable on Friday he did announce a precautionary 7.30am inspection.

That revealed a frozen area on the edge of the racing line and with that in mind a further check took place at 9.30am.

But despite the best attempts of Hill and his team temperatures have not risen quickly enough and were still minus 5C when the decision was taken to abandon.

It will be a blank day of racing after Chelmsford was also abandoned. The course reported temperatures not rising significantly and that frozen lumps in the track will not thaw in time after minus 9C and freezing fog overnight.