Earlier, Fakenham had announced that their Thursday meeting has been abandoned due to the snow.

Clerk of the course at Exeter Barry Johnson took an initial look at 8am and was hopeful of conditions improving after seeing some of the snow on the track melt overnight.

However, the weather has turned colder once again in the south-west and Johnson reports the track to still be unraceable following another check shortly before 1pm.

He said: “The temperature has dropped like a stone here and unfortunately it is not going improve.

“It was a lovely day earlier on, we had some rain and it was beginning to thaw.

“The temperature has dropped back to 1C now and we have some sleet and hail and a forecast of just minus 1C tonight so it was best to make a call now.”

Fakenham's clerk David Hunter inspected the track at noon but was forced to admit defeat.

Hunter said: ``There's been a little movement on the snow, but we've still got three inches of snow on the course.

“The temperature peaked at minus 11C last night, much against the forecast, and we are only about 2C at the moment.

“We’re just not going to get there in time, I’m afraid.”