Olympian's point-to-point return frozen off

Victoria Pendleton's anticipated return to the point-to-point world was scuppered by frozen ground at Barbury racecourse in Wiltshire on Sunday.

Although the meeting went ahead as planned, trainer Alan Hill thought the overnight frost had not come out of the ground in one particular area to allow Pendleton and her mount Vesperal Dream to take their chance in the opening members' race which was scheduled for midday.

Vesperal Dream, who former Olympic champion cyclist Pendleton bought privately out of the Paul Nicholls stable in the summer, could now be rerouted to nearby Larkhill next Sunday.

All was not lost for Pendleton, however as she spent the afternoon filming at the fixture for her upcoming new role with ITV.

Hill said: "The track itself was fine it was just a shaded area where it still was white with frost we were concerned about and having inspected it with Victoria we weren't prepared to take the risk. Unfortunately the race was the first, if it had been the third or fourth we would have been okay."