Exeter Racecourse was forced to abandon yesterday’s Valentine’s Race Day meeting at 10am on safety grounds, due to frost patches remaining on the course at Haldon Hill.

Clerk of the course Barry Johnson held an initial inspection at 8am yesterday, and decided to take a second look an hour later in the hope of improvement.

That 9am check also proved inconclusive and, after a third inspection at 10am, Johnson was forced to admit defeat.

He said: “We’ve lost the battle. It’s just 3C at the moment and while the frost is shifting very slowly, there’s a nasty, cold wind that is keeping it in the ground.

“It’s not really improved in the last hour so, rather than mess everyone about, we have abandoned.”

General manager Alice Everitt said: “It is with great regret that we were forced to abandon the meeting but, despite every effort, we were left with no choice.

“We wanted to give the card every chance of taking place, but by 10am, with such a huge crowd expected and people travelling long distances, we owed it to our customers to make a prompt decision.

“All tickets will be refunded and we very much hope that those who were planning to come will come to one of our spring meetings later in the year.”

The wintry weather is causing problems elsewhere in the country, with today’s meeting at Catterick being abandoned due to a frozen track.

Clerk of the course Fiona Needham held an initial inspection at 8am yesterday and decided to take a second look at 1pm in the hope of an improvement. However, the track was still unraceable and the meeting was called off.

Needham said: ‘‘Unfortunately there has been no real improvement since this morning. About 20 per cent of the track is covered by snow and it’s still frozen solid. The thaw has just come too late for us and there’s no chance of us being raceable by tomorrow.”

Today’s meeting at Plumpton was also abandoned due to a frozen track. Clerk of the course Mark Cornford called off the National Hunt card after another harsh frost on Saturday night.

Cornford said: ‘‘We’ve had two much more severe frosts than forecast. We were forecast towards minus 6C or even just minus 3C or 4C, but it dropped to minus 11C on Friday and then minus 10C last night.

“The ground was already partly frozen and we still have a thin layer of snow on about 40 per cent of the track so there just isn’t enough time or a big enough increase in temperatures to get that cleared before racing. The frost has gone so deep that it will probably take at least two or three days, if not three or four days, to clear.”

Folkestone have called an inspection for 2pm today ahead of tomorrow’s meeting.

Clerk of the course Neil Mackenzie Ross is looking for a serious improvement in conditions if the Kent track’s meeting is to go ahead. He said: “We’re still snowbound and frozen in places. There’s quite a big thaw needed, and we’re concerned there might not be enough time.”

There was warmer weather in Ireland yesterday, and Quel Esprit justified strong late market support to give Willie Mullins his eighth triumph in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

The grey made virtually all the running, jockey Ruby Walsh keeping the eight-year-old up to his work to hold Roberto Goldback by two lengths.