CHEPSTOW Racecourse has defended its decision to cancel its latest meeting on safety grounds after just two races.

It came after December 27's Welsh Grand National meeting was held amid a huge bank of fog, with racegoers and TV watchers unable to see much of the action.

Some punters felt the Sunday, January 5, card should have been cancelled beforehand, with the course affected by snow and slush.

But clerk of the course Dai Jones told Racing Post: “You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

“We were informed by our weather stations that the temperature was going to rise, so we waited until 9am...

“Everything was going in the right direction. We were advised that we would reach up to about 10C.

“The stewards decided to call an inspection before racing with all the jockeys, the doctors, the vets and the trainers.

"Everybody was unanimous at that time that the ground was ideal to race...

“But what didn’t help us was from ten minutes after we started, we had 9mm of rain to the end of the second race and that’s really what’s caused the damage.

“Coming down into the stable bend, the jockeys felt the ground was unstable and it was just cutting up a little bit.

"We’re not in the business of just dragging people here, but the safety of the jockeys and horses is paramount. When they come back and say what they said, we have to listen...

“As racing people ourselves, the last thing we want is for everybody to travel down and not race. Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t work out.”

The racecourse will be hoping for better luck at their Tuesday, January 28 meeting.