Today’s Methven races today have been called off after a bitter wintry blast ripped through Mid Canterbury, and will be held next Wednesday instead.
“We’ve had very heavy sleet and snow all morning,” says Methven Trotting Club President Michael Heenan, “and it’s a massive disappointment to have to make the call.”
The decision was made in conjunction with the Racing Integrity Board just before 11am, though the forecast is for the weather to get better as the day goes.
Race 1 was due to go at 1.25pm.
“We had to make the call early,” says Heenan, “specially for those people coming from outlying regions.”
“And we had to think about the lack of comfort for our participants and the fact that we were going to have a lot of scratchings.”
Next Wednesday’s (November 1) meeting will start at 12.17pm, and all scratchings from today will be re-instated.