Slippery course stops racing

The safety of jockeys and their mounts was again to the fore at Hexham yesterday where the meeting was abandoned after just one race. Showers on firm ground made the track slippery and Miss Impulse, one of three runners in the opening race, capsized approaching the second last flight of hurdles.

Tom Dascombe, her jockey, reported: "She lost her hind legs on the slippery ground. It's dangerous out there and the stewards have made the right decision not to carry on."

The clerk of the course, Charles Enderby, said: "The problem is that we didn't have enough rain. We've had some light showers, but it wasn't enough to get into the ground."

Ron Barry, the Jockey Club's Northern Inspector of Courses, accompanied the stewards and the jockeys Adie Smith and Peter Niven on an inspection of the track after the first race.

As one race had taken place, racegoers did not receive a refund but were instead offered a ticket for use at any future Hexham meeting.