Navan and Ascot get the go ahead

Racing at Navan was given the go ahead today after an early morning inspection

Racing at Navan was given the go ahead today after an early morning inspection. The going is described as yielding to soft and the seven-race card got underway at 12.35 p.m this afternoon.

In the Forge took the first race of the day while Charlie Swan brought Perky’s Pride home in the 1.05 p.m.

In England, it took four inspections at Ascot before racing was finally given the go ahead just 30 minutes before the start of the first race.

A poor forecast forced officials at the track to hold an inspection at 7 a.m. but with the temperature still below freezing they were forced to look again at 9 a.m.

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And it was similar story at 9 a.m. so another inspection was planned at 10.30 a.m.

Clerk of the course Nick Cheyne said: "We'll look again at midday. The hurdle track is still unraceable, the majority of the chase track is not too bad."

And after inspecting the track once again in the company of several trainers and jockeys the stewards passed the course fit for racing.

Cheyne said: "The sun has come out and so has the frost."

There was bad news at Newcastle, however, where racing was lost to the weather with the track the unraceable in parts.

After walking the course, assistant clerk of the course James Armstrong explained the decision.

He said: "I`m afraid we`ve been defeated, frost got into the ground last night. We didn`t have the snow we were forecast but the frost has got into the ground and temperatures aren`t set to rise above 1C or 2C which wouldn`t get us out.

"It actually started snowing from the moment we abandoned so it`s looking bleak whichever way you look at it."