Wetherby Racecourse’s worsening wintry white-out

Officials have abandoned their valuable card, which included the eighth running of the One Man Novices’ Chase, without bothering to inspect after further bad weather on Tuesday and yesterday left the track under seven inches of snow.

With the weather forecast not expected to improve for the rest of the week, Sanderson made the early decision to call a halt to proceedings.

Last year, snow forced the abandonment of the two-day Christmas meeting and race days in January as the white-out closed Wetherby’s doors for almost two months.

But Sanderson said yesterday: “It’s madness. I’d say it is worse here now than it was at any stage last year. It has snowed all day and is forecast to carry on through the day and into the night.

“I live two miles from the track and I popped home and it took me an hour. It’s the logical decision. We had five inches on the track already and have had another two already this morning.”

He added: “If you operate a National Hunt track you need to expect to lose meetings in the winter. You very seldom go throughout a season without abandoning one fixture. Let’s hope this is our one fixture.

“We have three weeks to go to our Christmas meeting this weekend and we will have to play it by ear.

“Obviously we would like to see the snow go really quickly.”

The snow has caused carnage to the racing programme.

Catterick’s meeting yesterday was abandoned and the prospects are bleak for the rest of the week.

Lingfield’s all-weather meeting today is in doubt because of an eight-inch covering of snow while Hexham’s National Hunt fixture, due to be held next Wednesday, is already seriously under threat – with an inspection having been called for noon on Sunday.

The track is under two feet of snow.

Today’s fixtures at Leicester and Market Rasen have been called off, while Saturday’s meeting at Kelso has gone and Monday’s meeting at Musselburgh is also threatened.