Doncaster racecourse yesterday stepped into the breach to limit the damage caused to the racing schedule this weekend by the recent spell of wet weather.
The British Horseracing Board has sanctioned a seven-race replacement card at Town Moor tomorrow made up of races saved from that day's abandoned meetings at Leicester and Ripon, the first time such a move has happened.
Five races from Leicester, including the Group Three Leicestershire Stakes (2.35), which will be backed by the Levy Board in place of original sponsors Admiral Cleaning Supplies, have been transferred along with two from Ripon.
Channel 4 will broadcast the Leicestershire Stakes, along with the Granby Handicap at 4.35. All five-day entries for the races will stand and runners will need to be declared in the normal manner.
BHB race planning official John Smee said yesterday: 'This is the first time this has happened. Everyone has been exceptionally helpful, everybody has done there bit for `Racing plc'.
'It's a new innovation and obviously if it works well it gives us more scope for the future. As far as helping the levy is concerned it has clearly saved the day, the chance of additional racing elsewhere is not great, Sandown aside.'
Saturday's meetings at Ripon and Leicester both fell to waterlogging yesterday while Sedgefield hinges on a 7.30 a.m. inspection this morning.
Sedgefield's clerk of the course James Hutchinson said: 'The going is soft, heavy in places and there is standing water in places.
'There is a 30 per cent chance of rain today and tonight and a 60 per cent chance tomorrow and prospects of racing are less than 50-50.'
The chases at Market Rasen tomorrow have already been scrapped and an all-hurdle sixrace card at the track is subject to an 8.00 a.m. inspection today.
Sandown will inspect at 7.30 this morning to determine whether Flat racing can go ahead there in the afternoon. Although there has been no rain at the Esher track in the last 24 hours a bad weather forecast has led officials to take a cautious approach.
Today's Perth meeting was abandoned following an inspection yesterday, washing out their entire three-day Spring Festival. It is the second successive season that Perth has lost its most prestigious meeting of the year.
There are no problems reported at tomorrow's allweather meeting at Wolverhampton.
