Watching brief for Sandown card
Sandown's executive accept the next few nights could be crucial in determining whether Saturday's big meeting can go ahead.
Although the Esher circuit was raceable on Wednesday, temperatures are due to plummet heading into the weekend. The highlights on a fine card are the Grade One Betfred Goals Galore Challengers Novices' Chase and the Betfred "Double Delight" Contenders Hurdle, which is due to see the return of 2010 Champion Hurdle winner Binocular.
Andrew Cooper, Sandown director of racing, said: "We are absolutely fine at the moment. We haven't had a particularly cold night yet, but we expect it to be cold on Thursday and Friday night. We have been told to expect minus 4C air temperatures throughout Thursday and Friday night.
"It wouldn't be sensible to call an inspection just yet, so we are very much reliant on what happens during the next few nights. The whole track has been covered since Monday and we have done as much as we possibly can. There'll come a point on Saturday when we have to lift off the covers to race. If we lift the covers and it's below freezing, then potentially the ground could freeze. It could be late on before we finally know our fate."
Officials at Ffos Las are slightly more optimistic ahead of their meeting on Saturday, which features the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle.
Tim Long, clerk of the course and general manager of the Welsh circuit, said: "We had our first frost last night, with temperatures as low as minus 1C. We did a fair bit of covering of the track on Tuesday, though, and we will have the rest of the track covered today. The Met Office's forecast say we could have two cold nights of minus 2C and minus 3C.
"There is then a weather front forecast coming in on Friday, which suggests we might not get below freezing, but with the possibility of rain which may turn to sleet and snow. It's obviously a watching brief, but with that forecast we've a certain amount of hope."
The outlook was far bleaker at Leicester and Ludlow, where frost led to the abandonment of Wednesday's meetings.
Thursday's fixture at Towcester has already fallen by the wayside, while Wincanton, due to race on the same day, will hold a further inspection at 9am. Clerk of the course Barry Johnson checked conditions at Wincanton at 1pm on Wednesday and found the track fit for racing. However, frost is forecast again overnight.
It is a similar situation at Chepstow, where course officials must pass a 1.30pm precautionary inspection on Thursday ahead of their meeting 24 hours later.
1 February 2012
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