Arctic conditions have returned with a vengeance to play havoc with the racing programme.

There was no racing in Britain or Ireland yesterday, and today has already been hit with the loss of Market Rasen's jumps fixture due to frost and snow.

Although a slight thaw late yesterday morning offered a degree of optimism at Rasen, the situation was considered untenable following a mid-afternoon inspection.

"It stopped snowing at around 11.30am and it began to start thawing," Clerk of the course Sulekha Varma reported.

"We thought we might get away with it, but the course is still frozen so we've had to abandon."