Racing: Huntingdon's Boxing Day card abandoned

Flooding has caused the Boxing Day programme to be cut from 10 cards to nine as Huntingdon became the first Bank Holiday casualty yesterday. Michael Prosser, the clerk of the course at the Cambridgeshire track, confirmed that some areas in the home straight are under water after brooks surrounding the track burst their banks.

"I've spoken to the Environment Agency and they are forecasting further floods in the area," Prosser added.

Officials at Wetherby are hoping for a dry couple of days to help their Boxing Day fixture, which features Edredon Bleu in the Castleford Chase, to go ahead. A 7.30am inspection of the track is planned for Thursday after rain left the course waterlogged in places.

Tim Betteridge, Wetherby's chief executive, said: "We're working hard on improving the area and looking at the options for dolling it off."

* Jockey Club officials yesterday confirmed that 27 horses have returned positive initial tests for morphine. The "A" samples, all taken from horses that have run in Britain in the last six weeks, tested positive for the drug, with 12 of those horses being winners. The source is thought to be a contaminated batch of feed