The Easter Monday horse racing at Les Landes has been cancelled because of bad weather.

The Jersey Race Club took the decision to postpone the event until Sunday, 30 March, after a marquee was severely damaged by the strong wind and more gales were forecast.

It was felt that those making arrangements could have been put at risk, especially as the course is in an exposed location.

Thousands of people were expected at the first race meeting of the year and the first after a new grandstand and other improvements costing over £500,000 had been completed.

Club president Robin Rumboll said that the club was very disappointed, but the decision had been taken on health and safety grounds.

‘We are desperately disappointed that we have had to postpone the meeting because Easter Monday has always been a traditional fixture in people’s diaries, but, as happened at Cheltenham, we have had to take the decision on health and safety grounds and look forward to the meeting next Sunday.’

It was especially disappointing, he added, in view of the work which had been carried out at the race course over the past year, including a new ‘environmentally friendly’ grandstand, which forms a grass mound in which new facilities for the jockeys, stewards’ room, weighing room and tote have been built.