This afternoon’s National Hunt meeting at Warwick has become the latest victim of the current wet spell, with course officials left with no option but to abandon the fixture due to a waterlogged track.

While persistent rain continues to play havoc with the racing programme, no inspection was planned at Warwick, with only minimal rainfall forecast overnight.

However, the track posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday morning: “Following 16 millimetres of rainfall overnight and into this morning, which is a significant change from the three millimetres initially forecast, the track is now waterlogged and therefore unraceable.

“All tickets will automatically be refunded.”

Southwell’s Thursday card is set to go ahead as scheduled after the course passed a precautionary check at 7.30am, but racing at Clonmel in Ireland has been called off.

Further disruption looks likely heading into the weekend, with Friday’s meeting at Wetherby subject to a 3pm inspection this afternoon and Saturday’s Premier Raceday at Kelso also under threat.

The Borders track is due to host a high-profile card, part of which will is set to be shown live on ITV, but the ground is currently heavy, waterlogged in places and an inspection will take place at 8am on Friday to assess the latest state of play.

AP McCoy broke Sir Gordon Richards’ 55-year record for winners in a season when he got his 270th win at Warwick on this day in 2002.

After earlier equalling the record of 269 winners on Shepherds Rest, McCoy followed up by taking the Leek Wooton Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

McCoy displayed the tenacity that earned him record after record during his career with a typically strong ride on his boss Martin Pipe’s Valfonic.

The four-year-old looked to be struggling but McCoy conjured a run out of Pipe’s horse to seal his place in racing history.

And McCoy said: “Obviously it’s brilliant to get there in the end. It’s taken a while as I keep saying I can’t make the horses go any faster as much as I’d like to be able to but I can’t.

“I actually thought I would struggle today as I thought Shampooed, Shepherds Rest and this one just had chances and I’m obviously really pleased that all three have won.”

Pipe was quick to praise his stable jockey, with whom he enjoyed so much success.

He said: “Brilliant wasn’t it? It’s absolutely brilliant that he should beat Sir Gordon Richards’ record and I’m thrilled to bits for him.

“I’m highly delighted he was on one of my horses. He deserves it, he’s a dedicated, brilliant jockey.

“Only this morning he was down schooling my team of horses for the National over National fences that we built.

“Not only did he school his own ride but other people’s too. He’s a fabulous, generous team player.”

McCoy retired in April 2015 with 4,358 winners to his name.

Oliver Greenall expects another bold showing from Windtothelightning in the TrustATrader Warwick Mares’ Hurdle on Saturday.

While the six-year-old is taking a big jump in class and is facing Jamie Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well, Greenall is buoyed by the fact that only four will go to post for the Listed race.

The winner of four of her seven races under rules, Greenall, who trains in partnership with Josh Guerriero, hopes she can pick up some black type before potentially going chasing next season.

“She’s a mare on the up and I couldn’t believe that there was only four runners,” he said.

“She seems well, she’s had plenty of time since her last run, she should like the ground and she’s a tough, honest little mare.

“I can’t quite believe we are where we are with her to be honest, because she’s not flashy at home at all. She wasn’t over-expensive and when we first got her, she was a bit workmanlike and we didn’t have great expectations.

“We’re just delighted really that she keeps progressing and hopefully she’ll run well again.

“I think she’ll get three miles in time and, while she is a little bit small, I think she’ll go chasing.”

Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic also runs, along with Mel Rowley’s Blue Beach.

Grey Dawning regained the winning thread with a comfortable triumph in the Trustatrader Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Dan Skelton’s charge had looked set for a Cheltenham victory last time out, only to make a mess of the penultimate fence, which saw him have to give best to Ginny’s Destiny.

Sent off the 5-4 favourite to make amends, Harry Skelton was happy to settle in behind the front-running Apple Away for much of the three-mile contest, with Broadway Boy the only other horse really in contention on the turn for home.

However, he began to struggle as Grey Dawning made smooth progress on the outside to grab the lead from Apple Away at the second last, despite running slightly down that fence.

He was also a bit slow to jump at the last, but Skelton’s mount kept galloping to the line to win by 14 lengths – a result which saw Betfair cut him to 10-1 from 16s for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Broadway Boy is out to confirm his position as one of this season’s leading novice chasers in Warwick’s Trustatrader Hampton Novices’ Chase on Saturday.

Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, the six-year-old has excelled over fences so far this term, where ambitious campaigning has seen him win three of his first four starts over the larger obstacles.

Since his sole defeat at the hands of Flooring Porter, Broadway Boy has twice dazzled at Cheltenham – firstly when winning a Listed event by an emphatic 20 lengths and then returning in December to outgun a cast of seasoned performers which included former Gold Cup third Protektorat.

He now takes the next step on his novice chasing journey, with Willy Twiston Davies – who bought the horse for owner David Proos and rides him out most days – confident the talented gelding is the one the others have to beat.

He said: “He’s been very, very good so far and obviously it’s not Cheltenham, which is his preferred track, but he jumps very well left-handed and it’s a good jumping test for him, the ground is fine and we know he stays well, so you would hope he will be bang there.

“Looking at the race, you would like to think the others have him to worry about and they have to step up to his level, so we go there quietly confident.

“We will learn a bit more on Saturday and both Grey Dawning and Apple Away are not bad horses, but hopefully if he beats them, it cements him as one of Britain’s top staying novices.”

Dan Skelton claimed the Grade Two contest with Galia Des Liteaux 12 months ago and will attempt to repeat the dose with Grey Dawning, who scored on the card over timber in 2023.

Grey Dawning has made a respectable start to his chasing career, impressing at Haydock on his penultimate start before rallying following a juddering error two from home at Cheltenham last time to be denied by just under a length.

Some 14 lengths adrift of the Skelton contender at Haydock was Lucinda Russell’s Apple Away, who had to settle for third place on that baptism of fire in the chasing ranks.

However, the Grade One-winning hurdler put the experience gained to good use when romping home at Leicester next time and, having delighted connections with her jumping in the East Midlands, is now set another stern challenge which could dictate which path she takes later this season.

“I wish we could find an easier race, but this is where she is at and this is what we do,” said Peter Scudamore, Russell’s partner and assistant

“I think Nigel and Dan’s horses are very good horses but she jumped very well at Leicester and she won a Grade One at Aintree (over hurdles), so she deserves her chance.

“I was pleased by the way she jumped (at Leicester) and we gave her quite a big ask first time over fences at Haydock. But she learnt from that and got it together at Leicester and really jumped well. She has toughened up and is on the upgrade and let’s hope she puts up a good performance round Warwick.

“We would love to go to Cheltenham with her and we just need to decide if she runs in the mares’ race, a handicap or the Brown Advisory.”

Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man split Cheltenham Festival winner Stay Away Fay and Grey Dawning when they clashed at Exeter and is entitled to his place in this line-up, while Evan Williams’ Carbon King completes the five-strong field, having made a winning chasing debut at Ffos Las last month.

Ramses De Teillee will attempt to go one better than 12 months ago when the veterans get the chance to shine at Warwick on Saturday.

The Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase was the headline attraction on last weekend’s abandoned Sandown card, but all is not lost for some of the sport’s most popular warriors, with the race rerouted to the Midlands with a first-prize of £38,580 on offer.

David Pipe claimed the first ever running of this event with Soll in 2016 and came close to adding to his tally 12 months ago as Ramses De Teillee failed to reel in Mel Rowley’s shock scorer Wishing And Hoping.

Correcting the record has been top of the agenda ever since and having been kept fresh for the contest, a stroke of fortune sees the race take place at a venue where the gallant grey has impressed in the past.

“It’s great that they have rescheduled it and it is a very popular race,” said Pipe.

“This has been the plan all season and he’s in good form and won round Warwick last year so we know he handles the track.

“He goes well fresh which is a positive and we’re looking forward to it. It would be lovely if he could go one better this year and he’s in flying form at home.”

There is a stacked field of 16 heading to the start of this three-mile event but none arrive in better form than Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Good Boy Bobby, who pounced late to prevail against Aye Right at Chepstow before adding to his tally at Sandown.

Now owned by Dash Grange Stud, the 11-year-old will bid for a hat-trick in first-time cheekpieces which connections hope will help him negotiate the early stages of the contest.

“Bobby has been brilliant this year and this has been the target since Jayne McGivern (of Dash Grange Stud) bought him and kindly sent him back to us,” said Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to his father.

“He’s wearing cheekpieces because it is going to be a bigger field and a lot more competitive than his last two, so hopefully it will help him get a good start and travel over the first few.

“He looks in very, very good form at home and the track and trip will be perfect and we’re expecting another bold bid.”

Venetia Williams’ Cepage and Olly Murphy’s Thomas Darby both arrive having tasted victory in their most recent outing.

The latter, who was fourth in the Chepstow event won by Good Boy Bobby on his return, took a good step forward to deny the reopposing Mill Green over track and trip and possesses a touch of class that could see him thrive even at this late stage of his career.

“He’s in good form and this has been the race we have targeted ever since he won at Warwick the last day and we’re looking forward to running him,” said Murphy.

“He has course-and-distance form and fingers crossed he will have a good chance in a competitive race.

“It will be his first run in what would be a really big-field competitive handicap over fences, but for his age I think he is pretty unexposed over the larger obstacles.”

Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford’s Aye Right has had to settle for minor honours behind both Good Boy Bobby and Thomas Darby so far this term.

The consistent 11-year-old will be partnered by the talented 7lb conditional Dylan Johnston as Graham and Rutherford seek to further reduce Aye Right’s burden and connections dream of landing a first victory since the 2021 Rehearsal Chase.

“We made the decision to put a 7lb claimer on because he is not a big horse and we have always felt the handicapper has never really relented on him and we just thought we should try it,” said Graham.

“Dylan is one of the good up-and-coming conditionals, so we thought we would give it a go and we’re quite excited about it.

“The handicapper has let him off a little bit but it’s taken a lot of asking. Even to qualify for the race, because the qualifiers are 0-150 and he was 154 I think, I had to get the handicapper to drop us so we could qualify.

“He has relented slightly, but when you compare him to Good Boy Bobby who beat us at Chepstow and we beat him two years ago in the Rehearsal, I think he has been a lot more lenient with him and he’s never gone up to the same extent that Aye Right ever went off.

“We know Aye Right always runs an honest race and because of his front-running style, he’s hardly hiding, but it’s great to have a horse like that.”

Fellow northern raider Top Ville Ben went close at Aintree on Boxing Day and is another heading into the race with good form to his name, with Emma Lavelle’s De Rasher Counter and Richard Hobson’s Lord Du Mesnil others to make the podium prior to this.

Meanwhile, set to shoulder top-weight is Kim Bailey’s Two For Gold, with the handler thrilled to give his high-class staying chaser the chance to compete amongst his fellow elder statesman.

“It’s a very competitive race and the poor old chap has to carry top-weight,” said Bailey.

“If he finished in the first four I would be thrilled to be quite honest, but having said that he seems in a very good place.

“Veterans’ races are very popular and I’m a big supporter of them.”

Gavin Cromwell’s Malina Girl will seek to overcome a top-weight burden in the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick on Saturday.

The classy mare was a faller last time when going well in a valuable Cheltenham handicap, prior to which she was victorious in the Jewson Handicap Chase at the same track in November.

The seven-year-old will shoulder 12st in what is invariably a gruelling affair, though conditional rider Conor Stone-Walsh can ease that slightly with his claim.

Cromwell – who has enjoyed plenty of success in his raids across the Irish Sea this season – said: “Top-weight is not ideal and she is quite a small mare so Conor Stone-Walsh is going to claim 5lb and give her every chance.

“She seemed to be going well last time, but it was too early to say (if she would have won).

“The trip won’t be a problem and she stays well. She seems in good order so hopefully gives a good account of herself. ”

Nigel Twiston-Davies will be represented in the contest by Beauport, second on his most recent outing when seeming to return to form in the London National Handicap Chase at Sandown.

Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to his father, said: “It has always looked like there would be a big pot in him and the trip will suit him well. The ground will be spot on and we’re very excited and looking forward to running him.

“He won some very nice races as a novice over hurdles and the Colin Parker over fences, but last year just didn’t fall right for him, so hopefully there is a nice one in him this year.

“He has slipped down to a very handy mark which hopefully he will be very competitive off.”

Charlie Longsdon has long had this meeting in mind for Guetapan Collonges, third in the Cheltenham contest won by Malina Girl and fourth in this race last season.

“This race has been the plan for Guetapan Collonges for some time,” the Chipping Norton trainer said.

“We thought about going for a race at Cheltenham during the Christmas meeting but then we thought we would wait for this.

“He is a lot more experienced compared to this time 12 months ago when I thought we were right in the deep end.

“Although he had won at Warwick the time before he had only had a handful of races over fences against small fields and he was very much a second season-chaser that was still very inexperienced.

“Since last year’s race he has run in the Midlands National and a big handicap chase around Cheltenham. He is a lot more experienced now and a lot more streetwise.”

Paul Nicholls runs Broken Halo, a nine-year-old who looks to put behind him a fall in the London National.

“He bounced back to form with victories in two races for military riders at Sandown in the spring and was running another sound race at the same track six weeks ago when he fell three from home,” the trainer said via Betfair.

“I was surprised to see him going so well until then because I didn’t think he was ready. Broken Halo needed a bit of time to recover from quite a heavy fall that day, but he is fine now and has done plenty of schooling.”

Elsewhere in the field are Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux, the winner and runner-up of two Listed mares’ chase this season, and Nicky’s Henderson City Chief, fourth in the Jewson Handicap Chase and fifth in the handicap in which Malina Girl fell.

Venetia Williams runs Fontaine Collonges, the Rowland Meyrick winner at Wetherby on Boxing Day, and Sheila Lewis will saddle the grey stayer Volcano, fifth here last season.

Harriet Graham has confirmed Aye Right an intended runner in Saturday’s rearranged Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase Final at Warwick but is a little disheartened the prize-money has been reduced.

The original race was due to be run for £100,000 at Sandown last weekend, when it would have been the feature race, but that meeting was abandoned through waterlogging.

This Saturday, the race will take place at Warwick, like Sandown owned by Jockey Club Racecourses, but the total prize fund is down to £75,000.

“He’s still in and the plan is to go, hopefully the weather doesn’t intervene again,” said Graham, who trains Aye Right in partnership with Gary Rutherford.

“I’m a little bit put off that they’ve managed to knock £25,000 off the prize fund. This race will probably have 14 runners and nearly every horse will have a story behind it. We’ve all run in races to get there.

“I know it is really hard to reschedule races and I know everybody at the BHA works really hard to do it, but it just seems a wee bit cheap. That’s just my feelings, it maybe doesn’t matter to the big trainers and owners.

“It’s a bit like Premierisation, it’s awful for small trainers and awful for small racecourses. They are taking the money from the poor to give to the rich. It’s Robin Hood the wrong way round.

“I know the Jockey Club have two Premier meetings on Saturday, with Kempton and Warwick with really decent prize-money, but to me it just seems a bit cheap to take money off what is a Final.

“These horses have provided entertainment for the last six or seven years, a little recognition would have been the right thing to do.

“I am pleased it’s on, we plan to go and hopefully the weather doesn’t spoil it again.”

Aye Right is once more likely to meet Good Boy Bobby, the two fought out the finish to the 2021 Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle and the seventh leg of the Veterans’ Series in October at Chepstow, securing a narrow success apiece.

Thomas Darby, Two For Gold, Sam Brown, Mill Green, Ramses de Teillee and Lord Du Mesnil are among 16 entries.