Punjabi finished third in last year's Champion Hurdle

New Welsh racecourse Ffos Las have decided not to run the Welsh Champion Hurdle this year.

The revived £50,000 Grade Two race, which has not run since 2002, was to be held at last weekend's meeting but was abandoned due to a frosty track.

Ffos Las had hoped to reschedule the feature race for this Sunday's meeting but that has been ruled out.

"Unfortunately we won't be running the Welsh Champion Hurdle this weekend," said clerk of the course Tim Long.

Last Saturday's valuable contest had been the intended target of Nicky Henderson's Champion Hurdle hero Punjabi.

It was due to be the Carmarthenshire course's biggest showpiece since opening in June and their first televised meeting - until the card was called off due to the big freeze.

Now Ffos Las has been frustrated again as Long reveals: "As it isn't a British Pattern race, the race won't receive any additional funding.

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"It's obviously disappointing but these things happen when you work with the weather and we remain committed to the race for the future."

Long admits he will have a better idea about the prospects of Sunday's Ffos Las card going ahead on Wednesday.

"We are forecast rain, sleet or snow tonight and I think we'll be in a better position to assess our chances by Wednesday," Long continued.

"Although we are not entirely covered in snow at the moment, there is still frost in the ground and more snow on top of that would make it difficult for us."

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