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The John Durkan Memorial Chase is off. Tom Maher/INPHO
Off

Punchestown's feature cancelled as racing is hit by weather

Elsewhere, Cheltenham, Doncaster and Hereford were all abandoned due to frozen tracks.

PUNCHESTOWN’S FEATURE JOHN Durkan Memorial Chase meeting tomorrow has been cancelled.

Officials had called an inspection for midday on Saturday to assess conditions ahead of the big fixture, which was set to see the return to action of Willie Mullins’ exciting Galopin Des Champs.

However, by 10.30am clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan was in a position to be able to make an early call, with the course covered in snow and a deep frost forecast overnight.

There is, though, every hope the meeting can be rescheduled but given the next few days are due to be similar weather-wise, it will not be in the “coming days”.

Sheridan said: “Following overnight snow and a forecast for additional snow and severe frost tonight, unfortunately we have had to cancel tomorrow’s meeting.

“As there is no improvement forecast through the next week with temperatures remaining below freezing the meeting will not be rescheduled in the coming days. A date for the rescheduled meeting will be announced on Monday.”

Elsewhere, National Hunt racing was given an unexpected day off today with Cheltenham, Doncaster and Hereford all abandoned due to frozen tracks.

Frost sheets were deployed at Cheltenham after racing on Friday, but as the mercury began to drop it became a race against time.

It took clerk of the course Jon Pullin and his team around three hours to cover the whole of the New Course, which is used for the two-day International meeting, but in the end their efforts were in vain.

“Temperatures were at zero at the last on Friday and then we began to get the covers down, which we did through tremendous effort in three hours,” said Pullin.

Southwell’s card on Sunday must pass a 9.30am inspection on raceday while Carlisle’s Sunday meeting has already been abandoned.

Racing on Monday is already in doubt at Market Rasen and Plumpton. Market Rasen will inspect on Sunday at midday with Plumpton having a look 30 minutes later at 12.30pm.

Catterick’s meeting on Tuesday is already under threat and officials will inspect at 8am on Monday.

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