The race meetings at Catterick and Chepstow on Friday must pass early-morning inspections with the weather set to take a turn for even worse across the country over the weekend.
The threat of overnight snow and frost has forced Catterick officials to call an inspection at 8am. Ten millimetres of rainfall during the last 24 hours has been compounded by a light covering of snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Further wintry showers have been forecast, with overnight temperatures set to drop to minus 1C. The going is currently soft.
The clerk of the course, Fiona Needham, said: “We have a light covering of snow this morning but no frost. There is further snow forecast, mostly to the west of us, but a slight freeze overnight is also forecast. We couldn’t race at the moment but it wouldn’t take much to shift it and it is supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow.”
Chepstow’s fixture is set for a 7.30am precautionary inspection on race-day. Though the track was found to have been raceable on Thursday morning, course officials are taking no chances as overnight night temperatures could fall below freezing.
A statement issued by Chepstow read: “Precautionary inspection 7.30am Friday, more for the threat of frost than snow. We are currently fine.”
The official going is currently soft, heavy in places.
Meanwhile, Musselburgh is hopeful the track can race on Sunday. The Scottish Cheltenham Trials Day includes plenty of interesting entries but heavy snow and freezing temperatures have been forecast. The clerk of the course, Harriet Graham, is hopeful the meeting can defeat the elements.
She said on Wednesday: “At this stage we are moderately confident of racing. It is, however, a very tricky forecast. I have spoken to the Met Office and they have pretty high confidence we will have a few more heavy snow showers in the next 24 hours. The snow is meant to have moved through by Friday, which will hopefully give us the chance to put down further covers.
“The take-off and landing areas are coveredbut we have to wait for the snow to pass through before we can take any further action. Overnight temperatures are also due to get to around minus 1C, possibly minus 2C. It will be an interesting few days.”
Officials at Wetherby expect no problems before Saturday’s fixture if the forecast is correct. While the course currently had a light dusting of snow on Thursday afternoon, positive temperatures on Friday are expected to shift that and temperatures are not due to dip much below freezing, if at all.
“We have lovely blue sky at present but we had a blizzard for an hour between 1 and 2pm and that has left us with a light covering,” said the clerk of the course, Jonjo Sanderson. “There’s some rain and sleet forecast but we are not expecting any more snow. It is supposed to be a dry day tomorrow with temperatures of 4C or 5C and the same for Saturday.
“If that is how it turns out, I don’t envisage any problems at all. Obviously, if it hasn’t shifted by tomorrow afternoon, we may have to take a look but as yet we are not planning an inspection.”
There are no other major concerns for meetings at present. The feature meeting on Saturday is at Sandown where the frost covers went down on the track on Wednesday night. The highlight of the fixture is the Grade One Scilly Isles Novice Chase.
“Snow is something we would be keeping an eye on and wouldn’t want to see much of,” the clerk of the course, Andrew Cooper, told the Racing Post. “Friday night into Saturday looks like it will be the coldest night but hopefully the covers will do their job. The reality is we won’t know where we stand until Saturday morning.”
