Weather freezes Dawson's pursuit of championship rival Edwards

John Dawson can find some comfort in successive blank weekends of racing in Yorkshire, and says: "At least it looks as though most other meetings will be abandoned this time."

Dawson resembles the footballer who has grabbed the shirt of Fuller's men's championship rival Alex Edwards, yet his opponent keeps wriggling past defenders. Shropshire-based Edwards crossed to the Midlands last week to ride a winner in Leicestershire, taking his score to 14, while Dawson rode a double in Northumberland. He is on 11, while Wales's Bradley Gibbs, who will be feeling the loss of Saturday's Brecon fixture, is three behind.

Dawson, who with wife Alice runs a yard at Great Ayton containing some 24 horses, of which 15 are pointers, says of the loss of Sunday's Charm Park fixture: "The weather is a nightmare [he was trying to thaw frozen water pipes at the time of speaking]. It's come at the wrong time. I would have had five rides at Charm, and Young Hurricane was supposed to run before the Foxhunter Chase."