'We're preparing for every eventuality' - how yards are beating the bitter cold

Stable staff and trainers had to brave the biting cold to get horses out on their morning routine on Saturday, but all-weather gallops, extra layers and plenty of determination ensured the show would go on.

The four British and Irish jumps fixtures at Cheltenham, Doncaster, Hereford and Navan, plus the all-weather meeting at Newcastle, fell victim to frost but racing's workforce kept on going despite overnight temperatures dropping to as low as -9C.

Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire had some of the coldest temperatures recorded on Saturday morning, but Cotswolds-based Ben Pauling made the best of a bad situation. Cheltenham's abandonment instead meant his owners got their racehorse fix from a visit to his stable.