Racing: This week's meetings at Thurles and Punchestown are in doubt as both tracks are currently "unfit for racing" as the situation continues to be closely monitored by the Irish Turf Club.
Racing is scheduled at Thurles for this Thursday (7th) with Punchestown set to take place on Saturday (9th) but both venues are currently unfit for racing due to frost.
Cross channel tomorrow’s Leicester meeting and Wednesday’s Hexham card are the latest race fixtures to have been abandoned due to the weather conditions.
Following an 8am inspection course officials at Leicester found no improvement after another night of freezing temperatures.
Clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson reported that Sunday night was the coldest of the winter to date with temperatures touching minus nine.
"We're off, we have absolutely no chance of racing," said Stevenson.
"It got down to minus nine last night and that is the coldest I can remember. I've seen minus six of seven but never nine.
"There's is no let up either, it is supposed to be like this for the next 10 days with a maximum of zero degrees.
"We'll keep our fingers crossed it warms up before our next meeting on January 12th."
Hexham was abandoned due to snow after a planned inspection was brought forward.
The course has had a covering for nearly two weeks now and has not seen the light of day for some time.
With yet another night of sub-zero temperatures and more on the way, clerk of the course James Armstrong checked before a scheduled 7.30am inspection.
"It was not a very difficult call unfortunately," said Armstrong. "The course is still covered in snow and we could get more today.
"Temperatures have struggled to get above freezing for weeks and it was one of the easiest decisions I've had to make.