CHEPSTOW Racecourse’s ground staff are working around the clock to rectify a problem with its racing surface, which has led to its Caribbean Night fixture on Friday being abandoned.

Damage to small areas of the racing surface due to nematode activity has been discovered at the sporting venue. These microscopic organisms feed on the roots of plants causing the ground to become unstable.

In order to ensure the safety of horses and jockeys the course has been left with no option but to abandon racing on Friday 25th July.

Customers who have booked in advance are entitled to a full refund or transfer to another date.

Chepstow’s Executive Director Phil Bell said: “Safety always takes priority. Nevertheless, we are extremely disappointed to lose one of our feature meetings of the Summer. We have caught the problem early and our groundstaff are working hard to make sure racing can resume as soon as possible. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused our sponsors, supporters and racegoers.”

An inspection will take place next week to determine the likelihood of Chepstow’s next fixture going ahead as planned on Wednesday 6th August.

As a result of Friday’s abandonment, a replacement fixture will be at Lingfield Park on the all-weather on Friday 25 July. The new races will closely resemble those originally programmed, except for necessary alterations to distance, safety factor and weights.