Newcastle to check again

Officials at Newcastle have announced a second morning inspection for 11am to assess the prospects of racing this afternoon.

Clerk of the course James Armstrong initially called an impromptu 9am inspection after a colder-than-anticipated night at Gosforth Park.

He now feels the need to check again, with temperatures rising slowly.

“We haven’t achieved a great deal by looking at 9am, but the sun has now got up and it is clear blue skies so we have got a chance,” said Armstrong.

“We have no cloud cover or mist, which is a help, and temperatures are picking up – albeit slowly.

“Hopefully in the next couple of hours we will see a marked improvement and we will have a much better idea then.”