Controversy raged at Ludlow yesterday with a number of owners, trainers, jockeys and race-goers up in arms over the ground at the fog-bound track.

Nineteen horses were withdrawn by connections rather than run on the frost-affected going, while many felt the clerk of the course, Bob Davies, had misled all concerned by failing to hold a precautionary inspection and keeping everyone informed.

But Davies countered: "You cannot call an inspection for fog which may lift. The fog was not a problem for racing until about 11.30 a.m. when it came back in.

"We had a ground frost last night and there was a crust on the ground this morning, but the only place that was a worry was by the winning post and we made that raceable.