Two meetings off as weather strikes

Towcester, where racing was due to take place on Thursday, was the first to be called off.

Officials had planned to look at the course tomorrow but following overnight rain they inspected the track today.

Clerk of the course Hugo Bevan said: "We had four millimetres of rain overnight and the back straight is waterlogged. There is more rain expected this afternoon and the forecast is appalling.

"And the way conditions are there is no way Towcester will be able to race on Thursday."

Exeter, another of Thursday's meetings, soon followed suit after officials found the course to be waterlogged at an 11.30am inspection yesterday.

Clerk of the course Nick Ansell said: "I'm afraid we've had to abandon. The course is still waterlogged in places.

"We've really been struggling ever since we had 69 millimetres, that is two and three-quarter inches, of rain last Thursday night. The wet has been consistently topped up ever since then.

"There was no way this decision was a cliffhanger - it was a foregone conclusion."

n Warwick racecourse will stage a new £40,000-added handicap chase next month, it has been announced.

The Tote Scoop6 Warwickshire Gold Cup will be run over three and a quarter miles on January 13 for horses rated 0-150.

Racecourse manager Christian Leech said: "This is our most valuable ever race by some considerable way, the previous richest being £22,000.

"With this significant increase in prize money we hope to attract top-class handicappers.

"We have an excellent new £3million grandstand and are now making a concerted effort to further improve the quality of racing and move Warwick up a division."

Tote public relations director Rob Hartnett said: "We are delighted to support such a great race at Warwick. In 2000 its predecessor, the Warwick National was the race on which the Munchen Gladbackers went down in their quest to win over £1m on the Scoop6. Hopefully this season's race will be equally exciting."