Weymes has taken on six horses from the nearby stables of disqualified trainer Karl Burke, an intake he described as “a big boost to a small yard like ours”.

Weymes, who sent out one of his new recruits, Miami Gator, to win at Lingfield on Thursday, did not need to think twice about welcoming some new faces after being approached by Burke’s wife, Elaine.

He said: “Elaine asked me to take half a dozen horses to train, and I was only too pleased to accept – it’s a big boost to a small yard like ours.

“They all came looking well and ready to go on with on the all-weather.

“The way Miami Gator won at Lingfield the other day he looks a progressive horse, who can win again.

“It all helps. We had a good end to the year, which is satisfying, because we had stalled a little bit, mainly through not having the ammunition to fire.”

The cold snap is playing havoc with racing fixtures at present and the forecasters say there’s more to come.

Catterick on December 14 was the last northern meeting to go ahead, and since then all the meetings up here have had no chance of beating the frost and snow.

Wetherby has been hit hard after losing their big two-day fixture starting on Boxing Day, featuring the Rowland Meyrick Chase.

Clerk of the course at the West Yorkshire track is Jonjo Sanderson, and following an inspection yesterday he said: “We are frozen this time. We have had two nights of -3C, it was -4C last night, and it is not getting above freezing during the day, maybe scraping 1C.

“Tonight it is forecast to get down to -6C or -7C so there is no chance of the frost coming out of the ground before Monday’s meeting.”

Hexham were due to race on Wednesday, but with a foot of snow on the track it will be called off this morning after their official inspection.