All-weather card called off after torrential rain

Southwell has been forced to cancel its eight-race card on Tuesday due to a waterlogged track after experiencing a downpour of 49mm of rain in the last 36 hours.

Racing was scheduled to get underway at 11.50, however after a morning inspection it was concluded that the track was unraceable.

Arena Racing Company, owners of Southwell racecourse, undertook development work on the track in October as a 1f stretch covering the final bend and start of the homestraight were relaid to combat the risk of flooding. This was due to be the second meeting on the new surface.

Managing director David Roberts said: "49mm of rain has fallen in the last 36 hours, and it has been persistent over that period. The track is completely saturated and we have had no window to undergo our normal procedure of using discs to bring up the dry material.

"The river has not burst and we replaced the sand around the golf course bend and past the six furlong start a month ago and these areas have fared significantly better than other parts of the course."