Weather forces another Kelso call-off

Action from last year's end-of-December race meeting at Kelso (picture by Alan Raeburn).

The £55,000 ‘Festive Fling’, scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), has been abandoned.

After a previous call-off on December 10, Kelso’s racecourse managers had hoped recent milder weather and ‘good’ ground might ensure a top-class field for the proposed seven-race card.

Other weather-enforced cancellations in the northern area during the first half of December had led to a number of stables having a backlog of horses ready to run during the festive period.

However, with the weather worsening again this week – and after a course inspection at Kelso this morning – the event has been axed because of frost and forecast snow.

Customers who have purchased tickets using the online service will receive an automatic refund, said the management. Customers who have booked over the telephone will be contacted separately to process a refund.

An online statement from the course said: “We look forward to better weather in the New Year, when racing is scheduled on Sunday, January 14 and Thursday, January 25.”