'We'll be in Hawaiian shirts on Sunday' - optimism in the air as Lingfield keeps the show going

It might not have been Jonbon v El Fabiolo in the Clarence House Chase, but after a week of freezing temperatures and abandoned meetings galore, the 2,200 racegoers at Lingfield on Saturday were just happy to be racing. 

The all-weather might be seen by some as the poor relation of British racing, but where would we be without it? Homebase or John Lewis, according to one spectator braving the cold by the paddock before the first race – no wonder he had a big smile on his face.  

"Thank God we've got this card because for the last two years it's been the only racing we've had on this Saturday," said Mark Spincer, managing director of Arena Racing Company's racing division, who seemed just as relieved to be on. "We've got teams from seven different racecourse within Arc here to help and, when we do things, we do them as a collective."