Uttoxeter cover up track to save meeting

Groundstaff at Uttoxeter have covered the entire track in black canvas in a bid to give Friday’s fixture the best possible chance of beating the weather.

The course has been frost-hit for over a week but officials hope the initiative, which is being employed at a cost of £14,000, will prove successful with 20 acres of grass now under cover.

David MacDonald, general manager at Uttoxeter, said: “We cannot say for certain that this will work, but we’re giving it our very best shot.”

Clerk of the course Keith Ottesen added: “With it being sunny today, all the frost is now out of the ground. This has been our first opportunity to get the canvas covers down.

“If the overnight temperature dips below minus four degrees I’m not sure that even the covers will be enough, but without them we’d have little or no chance of racing.”