Horse Racing Weather Watch and Going Reports

[johnno]

Donny in trouble gain

However, the forecast has now changed and confidence has dipped.

"I'm nowhere near as confident as I was yesterday," said clerk of the course Roderick Duncan.

"The forecast yesterday predicted a rise in temperatures from Thursday onwards, with rain moving in Friday night into Saturday morning.

"Now they are saying the rain will not reach us until Saturday afternoon or evening.

"We are forecast daytime temperatures in the positives but we need a lot of help to shift the snow.

"There have been a few conversations about trying to rearrange the meeting but I don't think they have come to anything as it is logistically very difficult.

"We may get a different forecast this afternoon, we just have to hope they are wrong."

The course is still covered by five inches of snow.

[johnno]

he next 24 hours remain crucial for Cheltenham in their bid to stage Saturday's Festival Trials Day meeting.

Officials are still hopeful the card, which is also set to feature the rescheduled Victor Chandler Chase from Ascot, will go ahead but are hoping that the forecast snow for Tuesday night is light.

A slight thaw on Monday enabled clerk of the course Simon Claisse to do some early preparatory work.

However much more needs to be done and he expects to be in a better position to assess the situation on Wednesday morning.

Any contingency plans to save the fixture will then be discussed further if necessary.

"We remain hopeful and are crossing everything," said Claisse.

"We had a little bit of a thaw yesterday which enabled us to get a little lightweight tractor on the covers with a brush to brush the remaining snow off. That is good news.

"We are still forecast one to two centimetres of snow tonight. We will cope with the lower end, we may have a big challenge if we get the other end because there aren't any real positive signs of thawing temperatures until Saturday.

"The crucial time for us is the next 24 hours as to what might further come out of the sky.

"We've been in discussion with the authorities and Jockey Club Racecourses since Friday, but we've always said in terms of timings and decisions, we need to get through the next snow event which is forecast for tonight.

"Then we will be in a better position to assess what our prospects are."

[mayo]

Donny Gone

The situation was not the same at Doncaster though and with the Friday card having already been abandoned, Saturday's meeting - set to feature the Sky Bet Chase - was also called off after a 2pm inspection on Thursday.

Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan was left with little choice but to admit defeat with snow still covering the track and no substantial thaw in sight.

Uttoxeter's card has been considered unlikely to go ahead all week and that was confirmed when the meeting was abandoned on Thursday.

Clerk of the course Charlie Moore reports the track to be unraceable due to frost and snow and admits the situation is hopeless.

He said: "We've had to let it go. We have still got two inches of snow on the track with a hard frost forecast for tonight.

"There is not sufficient warmth and moisture in the forecast before Saturday as the forecast rain will come too late.

"Even if it did come in time, we could then end up waterlogged."

[Lester]

Cheltenham has passed an initial 8am inspection on Friday morning, but a further precautionary check at 7am on Saturday has been called.

Staff at the track have been battling the elements all week as they try to get Saturday's important Trials Day meeting to go ahead.

The track has been protected from frost for well over a week by covers, but snow that fell on top of the covers was causing some concern.

That snow has now been cleared and clerk of the course Simon Claisse reports the track fit for racing, but will check again on raceday morning.

The track tweeted: "Passed the inspection and confident of racing. Precautionary inspection at 7am Sat just in case local weather forecast is incorrect.

"Some snow forecast for late afternoon followed by rain. Frost covers coming off this afternoon."

The going is currently described a soft.

Cheltenham communications manager Andy Clifton said: "The course is fit to race and we will be taking the covers off this afternoon, but we have called a precautionary check for 7am.

"The situation is that we are forecast a little bit of snow around teatime today which is then due to be followed by a band of rain.

"Given the more severe weather which is forecast across the country later today, we felt it prudent to call a precautionary inspection just in case our local forecasts are wrong.

"If the forecast is right, which they have largely been this week, I think we might be able to give the meeting the go-ahead before 7am tomorrow.

"If the forecast is right, we would be extremely confident of racing tomorrow."

Should Cheltenham suffer any unexpected weather problems, the track also has the option of delaying the meeting until Sunday.

Trainers will be required to declare their horses for Saturday and then declare them again for Sunday as prize money levels would be reduced that day.

Clifton added: "The whole point of us having that ghost card, even though we are confident of racing, was to give us the option of Sunday.

"If there is some unexpected problem overnight, we have the option to wait until Sunday."

[Morning Glory]

Sandown to decide at 8 whether it is all chases or original card. Rain stops at 10 on forecast I was looking at but suspect all chase card is a done deal.

[Statto]

Naas OFF. Exeter ON

Snow forecast for next week.