Huntingdon hopes Peterborough Chase can be saved after losing feature race for second time in four years

Officials at Huntingdon hope their Grade 2 Peterborough Chase can be rescheduled elsewhere after the track's flagship race was lost to flooding for the second time in four seasons on Sunday.

The Cambridgeshire track had passed inspections on Thursday and Friday but failed the third, which was scheduled for Sunday at 6.30am, after the adjacent Alconbury Brook burst its banks on Saturday night.

The brook was the subject of a government flood alert on Saturday, which proved prescient when officials ventured on to the course in the dark later in the evening.

Roderick Duncan, clerk of the course at Huntingdon, said on Sunday: “I didn’t go home at all last night. We put a precautionary inspection in for 6.30am on Sunday when we heard about the flood warning, but at 10pm on Saturday night it [the water] just came over.

"As we speak, the entirety of the lawns in front of the grandstand and the members car park are under water. The sand crossing where the horses come out on to the track and the stable bend currently have standing water all across it, but thankfully the water didn’t quite get into the buildings. It was a few inches short.

“Last night from the half-furlong pole right along to the stable bend was all under six to seven inches of water, but it's already dropping now, which is what it does here.”

Alconbury Brook has proved problematic for the course over the years, including when causing extensive damage to the racecourse buildings in 2021. Flood defence works are now under way.

Janidil: had already travelled from Ireland to Huntingdon when the meeting was called offCredit: Patrick McCann

The Peterborough Chase was set to host a rare Irish runner, the Willie Mullins-trained Janidil, who was already at the track when the meeting was called off.

Duncan said: “The Irish horse travelled over and arrived here on Friday night, which is unfortunate, but we've kept everyone in the loop over the past three days that the fixture was at risk."

The Peterborough Chase was switched to Cheltenham's December meeting three years ago, when Mister Fisher won, and has also been moved to Taunton and Kempton.

The outlook for racing at Britain's other jumps tracks looks more favourable, with no inspections planned for Monday’s meetings at Ayr and Lingfield.

Officials are monitoring conditions at Fontwell, which is heavy on the chase course and heavy, soft in places on the hurdles track for its meeting on Tuesday.

On Wednesday Leicester has switched to an all-chase card as its hurdles course is waterlogged.

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