Thick fog causes Chelmsford to call off meeting after just two races

Racing at Chelmsford on Friday evening was called off on safety grounds after the first two races were staged in thick fog.

The stewards held an inquiry following the second race and after a discussion with a delegation including jockeys, trainers and the judge, the decision was made to cancel the remaining four races.

Clerk of the course Andy Waitt said: "We've abandoned due to safety reasons as we couldn't guarantee the fog was going to lift. The forecast indicates it was not going to get any better and with the poor visibility the jockeys weren't happy to be riding in it, which is understandable.

"It was a beautiful sunny day and the fog came down in a matter of seconds around 4.30pm. There was the possibility of a bit of mist at 10pm, but this wasn't forecast in any shape or form."

Waitt added racegoers are entitled to a full refund, which they can receive by contacting the course. The meeting was a replacement fixture for Southwell, where floodlit racing has been delayed until next month due to a cabling issue.

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