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Beverley has become the latest British racecourse forced to abandon racing after the discovery of a ‘hole in the track’.

The popular Yorkshire course was in the midst of staging a six race evening meeting on Monday which had to be scrapped with only half the races having been run. The racecourse stewards called an inspection after the starters raised concerns about the state of the surface in the area of the 7f start.

The stewards report said: “The inspection confirmed that unsuitable ground had been identified underneath the starting stalls and on the racing line. Riders, PJ McDonald, Barry McHugh and Cieren Fallon; trainers, Ruth Carr, Nigel Tinkler and Lawrence Mullaney; The Clerk of the Course and the Veterinary Officer were interviewed.

“Having considered the evidence, the Stewards ordered racing to be abandoned.”

Beverley is now the third racecourse to encounter problems with its track. Haydock has not staged any racing since May following the discovery of an elbow-deep hole in the surface at its Temple Stakes meeting while Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day fixture in January was disrupted when a hole opened up in the straight. Both tracks subsequently cancelled fixtures to carry out remedial work.

At Beverley on Monday the horses for the next race were at the start when the meeting was called off.

Racing TV presenter Chris Dixon said: “That hole in the track which is right at the stalls position for the 7f races is significant and nothing can be done about it in the short term.”

Pundit Adele Mulrennan said: “I think they’ve thought of numerous ideas but couldn’t get anything to work. They can’t move the stalls because of the fence. They have a gap to get in for each start and you have the fact there is still a big hole there.

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“It’s lucky they’ve found it because it’s quite a big hole. It goes from as wide as two stalls. It’s stall three and stall four that it’s affecting. It’s just disappointing.”

Beverley said it would make a compensatory payment to owners of horses due to run in the last three races while also providing complimentary tickets to racegoers to its season finale on September 22.