FREEZING temperatures are beginning to take a toll on the racing programme, with Chepstow abandoned due to frost.

With temperatures falling dramatically across the country for the second big cold snap of the winter, Chepstow and Newbury were added to Fontwell on Monday as meetings lost this week.

Chepstow were due to inspect at 7.30am, but the decision to abandon was taken before then after it reached minus six degrees overnight at the Monmouthshire venue.

Conditions at Newbury were already testing after more than 60mm of rain in the past week.

However, it was frost that put the nail in the coffin, with a minus four on Monday night and another hard frost forecast for Tuesday, with minus five possible.

Clonmel’s meeting in Ireland on Tuesday did survive an inspection, though.

Plumpton will inspect at 2pm on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

Frost covers are down, but it reached minus six on Monday with temperatures not getting above freezing until 10am with a possible high of three degrees.

Tuesday evening is not set to be as cold with minus two degrees forecast.

The going report read: “Temperatures dropped much lower than forecasted overnight. With frozen areas will inspect at 2pm hoping to see improvement, with the feeling if the frozen areas come out today we would have a good chance with temperatures not forecasted to drop as low tonight.”