Hexham card beaten by the weather

Officials at Hexham have been forced to abandon this afternoon’s meeting after being hit by snow and rain overnight.

The Northumberland venue was described as raceable on Saturday but after finding almost two inches of snow on the track on arrival this morning, clerk of the course Johnnie Fenwicke-Clennell has been left with little option but to call off proceedings.

“We’ve had to abandon unfortunately as we had six millimetres of rain overnight and there is an inch and a half of snow on the track,” said Fenwicke-Clennell.

“The temperature at the moment is around plus one and a half degrees but if and when the snow melts, we will be waterlogged anyway.

“A combination of the rain and snow has left us in a hopeless situation.”