Last updated at 17:14, Sunday, 26 August 2012

CARTMEL Racecourse in Cumbria has been forced to call off the Bank Holiday Monday meeting because of heavy rain over the weekend.

It is the first time a race meeting has had to be cancelled at Cartmel for 11 years.

Racecourse managing director Jonathan Garratt said he was "desperately sorry" to abandon racing but had taken the decision after another inch of rain was forecast for Monday.

The fairground and a visit by Peppa Pig will still go ahead, and people are welcome to still bring a picnic and take advantage of the estate, Mr Garratt added. Hospitality and corporate guests are invited to dine in the grandstand where races from other courses in the UK will be shown on a screen.

This is the first time bosses have had to abandon racing at Cartmel since the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001.

In a statement, Mr Garratt said: "We are desperately sorry for everyone - the owners and trainers, sponsors and racegoers. We love racing on this Bank Holiday, but the safety of the course is paramount.

"The track received another 6mm of rain overnight and really couldn't take even a couple more. We are forecast for more than an inch of rain tomorrow, so there would be no prospect of getting through the card. We don't want to attract everyone here, only to send them home early in the afternoon.

"The staff at the racecourse have all worked incredibly hard to get racing on - covering the racecourse with sheets and pumping water off at times. We have had more than five and a half feet of rain in the last twelve months, two feet in the last three months. They put on a good show in June and July and are very sad that we have been beaten by the weather on this occasion.”

First published at 14:28, Sunday, 26 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk