Sandown bites the dust

This afternoon’s meeting at Sandown has been abandoned after the course failed an impromptu 7.30am inspection.

Officials had decided yesterday afternoon that an inspection was not necessary but after more overnight rain fell than was anticipated, a precautionary look was called.

However, due to sharp bursts of rain, clerk of the course Andrew Cooper was left with no option but to abandon the meeting.

“Sadly we’ve had to abandon,” said Cooper.

“We are waterlogged in places in the home straight, particularly on the hurdles track and we have no option of sending them around the bad patches.

“It is false ground really, there are not huge amounts of water standing on the track.

“Unfortunately it is not going to improve in the time we have. We’ve had six millimetres and it is falling in really short, sharp showers.”