Monday’s scheduled flat meeting at Leicester has been abandoned due to “an incredible amount of rain” leaving the track waterlogged.

Course officials feared the worst following a torrential downpour on Saturday, which led to a 21-minute half-time break due to thunder and lightning during Leicester City’s Premier League clash with Everton.

An inspection was called for 3.30pm on Sunday, and Monday’s card was called off at that point.

Clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson said: “It has just been so harsh – we’ve had 72mm so far in the last 24 hours and you just can’t cope with that amount of rain.

“And it’s not even an improving forecast. It’s stopped at the moment, but it’s due to come back on again in a couple of hours and then rain for potentially another 24 hours.

“In this area, we’re talking anything between 30 to 50mm tomorrow.

“It’s crazy, it’s the most I’ve ever recorded in a 24-hour period. My last record was about five years ago and that was 54mm, so it’s quite an incredible amount of rain in that short time.

“You can’t get rid of it and it just sits on the top.”