Tag Archive for: Weather

Newmarket watering ahead of Guineas meeting

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Officials at Newmarket have begun watering to maintain the ground ahead of the three-day Qipco Guineas meeting which begins on Friday.

The changing forecast and a dry morning on the Rowley Mile prompted clerk of the course Michael Prosser to rethink plans as he bids to provide perfect conditions ahead of the first two Classics of the season.

The going is currently described as good to firm, good in places.

Michael Prosser has started watering the Rowley Mile course
Michael Prosser has started watering the Rowley Mile course (Tim Goode/PA)

“We have just lightly watered the final eight furlongs, which is the quickest part of the course,” Prosser said at noon on Thursday.

“The forecast has changed, basically. At this time yesterday, we were forecast rain first thing in the morning and obviously into the afternoon, so that forecast now advises those showers will be coming later.

“There is a 50 per cent chance of a shower, but it is a much lower percentage, and then the chance of a heavier shower is basically from midday through to 5pm, with between one millimetre and 10mm of rain.

“We have put down 4mm to maintain the position. The final eight furlongs is all but done. The plan was to get it done by midday and then we’ll cut the course later, ready for three days of racing.”

The 2000 Guineas is the feature on an eight-race Saturday card, and while the forecast is unsettled, Prosser is hoping it may remain dry during racing.

Prosser added: “Even the Saturday forecast has changed and the volumes don’t look as significant, although there is a more organised band of rain coming through mid-morning Saturday through to lunchtime.

“What we’re being told this morning is that there might be a dry interlude during racing, which will be really helpful if that is how it unfolded.

“That piece of rain will total 4mm on Saturday if it comes through. Then there is a chance of a shower later in the day on Saturday.

“On Sunday, our meteorologists, Weatherquest, are still advising that there is a much lower percentage chance of a lighter shower on Sunday. It could well stay dry.”

He added: “The Qipco 2000 Guineas looks a cracking race and it is a really good card to be honest, with 116 decs.

“You have to be pleased with that. Let’s hope the weather is kind and they all stay in, that’s the main thing.”

Imperial Cup card subject to Saturday morning inspection

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Saturday’s Betfair Imperial Cup meeting at Sandown will need to pass an 8am inspection if it is to go ahead as scheduled.

Racing took place at Sandown on Tuesday, but persistent wintry showers since have eased conditions significantly and clerk of the course Andrew Cooper admitted the track would have “struggled to race” on Thursday.

With further rain forecast and temperatures set to dip below freezing on Friday night, Cooper has called an inspection for raceday morning, with the track in a “difficult situation”.

He said: “It’s clearly a case of taking stock on Saturday morning, but the immediate issues and concerns here would be rainfall and the wetness of the conditions here after the week we’ve had.

“We raced on Tuesday and the rain started in this neck of the woods after a long break without rain on Tuesday morning. We’ve now had the best part of 30 millimetres, so over an inch of rain, and there could be a bit more rain later today.

“It’s a difficult situation with challenges potentially on two fronts as we’re also forecast a sudden, sharp frost here tonight.

“The general appraisal is we could get down to minus 2C. It could be less than that or it could be sharper than that, we’ll just have to see.

“It’s a combination of things really.”

Racing at Ayr goes ahead on Friday, but an inspection has been called ahead of Saturday's card
Racing at Ayr goes ahead on Friday, but an inspection has been called ahead of Saturday’s card (Jeff Holmes/PA)

With two inches of snow on the track, officials at Leicester had no option but to abandon Friday’s card, but there was better news north of the border, with racing at Ayr given the go-ahead.

The Scottish venue is also due to stage a Saturday fixture, which is subject to a precautionary inspection at 8.30am due to a forecast of overnight temperatures dipping to as low as minus 3C.

Friday’s all-weather meeting at Wolverhampton survived following three inspections, while Saturday’s jumps card at Hereford was abandoned following a 9.30am inspection.

There are also concerns in Ireland with Navan’s Saturday meeting, which is due to feature the Grade Two Webster Cup Chase, subject to a 7.30am inspection.

Sandown has ‘real fighting chance’ in battle against the weather

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Officials at Sandown insist there is “a real fighting chance” that Saturday’s Betfair Imperial Cup meeting will go ahead as planned.

The Esher track was fit to race on Tuesday, although persistent wintry showers have subsequently eased the ground to soft, heavy in places.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said precautions will be taken with the forecast of sub-zero temperatures on Friday evening.

“It has been a difficult 24 hours,” he said on Thursday afternoon. “We raced on Tuesday and caught about seven millimetres of rain in the morning before racing, which increased the damage on the day.

“Yesterday we started off with about three centimetres of snow. The rain gauges are showing about 15mm of something here yesterday and we’ve had bits and pieces today, about 4mm. There is still lingering rain in the mix, certainly until Friday morning, then the forecast is for a frost Friday night into Saturday, just to help things!”

However, while admitting that the track would have “struggled to race” on Thursday, Cooper remains upbeat for the weekend.

“I think we have a real fighting chance,” he added. “The frost is a little sting in the tail that we could have done without and because it is so wet and the timeframe we are in, we are not going to cover everything – you’d trash the place just getting covers onto the course.

“We will cover the shaded area in front of the grandstands and all the bits we know are prone to frost sticking around.

“We are getting there. Although there is rain around, it is not heavy rain and things are certainly settling down and gradually improving in terms of ground conditions. Currently we are moving in the right direction.”

Hereford is also scheduled to stage racing on Saturday
Hereford is also scheduled to stage racing on Saturday (David Davies/PA)

Hereford’s seven-race Saturday card could be in jeopardy, with the course not fit for action at present and an inspection called for 9.30am on Friday.

Clerk of the course Libby O’Flaherty said: “The snow has started to melt, but the track is currently unraceable. We are in the hands of the weather and will give it every chance we can, but we will need a little bit of luck.

“We will have a better idea on Friday morning when all the snow has gone.”

Friday’s meetings at Ayr and Leicester are subject to inspections at 8am and 7.30am respectively, with Wolverhampton’s all-weather fixture also needing to pass am 8am check.

Exeter and Kempton are also scheduled to race.

Pullin issues upbeat going update ahead of Festival

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Officials at Cheltenham expect “lovely jumping ground” for next week’s Festival, if the weather forecasts prove accurate.

Cheltenham avoided the snowfall which has beset parts of Britain over the last 48 hours and on Wednesday afternoon clerk of the course Jon Pullin provided an upbeat update ahead of the four-day meeting, which starts on Tuesday.

“We avoided any snowfall overnight and we have had a combination of drizzle, light rain and sleet throughout the day today, but not amounting to anything of much volume,” said Pullin.

“There is still an unsettled forecast going forward. It is expected to be much the same, a combination of rain and sleet.

“Thursday and Monday look as if they will be the wettest of the days from a volume point of view, with bits and pieces in between.

“Form a cold point of view, we only dipped below zero briefly last night and it is expected to be a similar situation tonight. We might get below zero but nothing too significant.

“Friday into Saturday might be a little bit colder, but daytime temperatures on Saturday get back up. We could be minus 3C or minus 4C but that looks the only cold night of concern and temperatures get back up after that.

“It is as positive as you’ll get a clerk to be. Certainly there is nothing from a cold point of view that’s of concern and the bits and pieces of rain.”

A huge crowd will be in attendance at Cheltenham
A huge crowd will be in attendance at Cheltenham (Andrew Matthews/PA)

He went on: “A couple of days could be more significant in volume, but we’re OK. Both Thursday and Monday could be five millimetres to 10mm.

“If we get anything between the mid-range, that would see lovely jumping ground to start the week with.

“Next week looks like it will be warmer, with double-digit temperatures, just with a few showers.”

Catterick clerk of the course Fiona Needham was not so lucky, having to abandon Wednesday’s meeting following a very cold night.

The meetings at Fontwell, Lingfield and Kempton all went ahead following inspections.

Carlisle is subject to an inspection
Carlisle is subject to an inspection (Tim Goode/PA)

Prospects for racing at Carlisle on Thursday have improved markedly.

An inspection was called for 3pm on Wednesday with the course frozen, however, despite another bitterly cold night, the course was found to be raceable.

The fixture still needs to pass a 9am precautionary inspection on raceday though, due to the threat of frost.

Southwell will inspect at 7.30am and unless the forecast is incorrect, no problems are anticipated. Officials at Wincanton and Thurles will also check conditions at the same time.

Mixed fortunes on weather front

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Freezing temperatures overnight forced Catterick officials to abandon Wednesday’s card but there was better news for Fontwell, Lingfield and eventually, Kempton.

Unfortunately for Catterick the forecast for temperatures to reach -6C overnight materialised and a decision to call the meeting off was taken long before a scheduled 8am inspection.

Former jockey Philip Hide, now clerk of the course at Fontwell, was able to give the green light for their meeting shortly before a scheduled 8am precautionary inspection.

There had been a threat of snow in the area and while there was a light dusting, rain was beginning to fall to help remove it.

The all-weather card at Lingfield this afternoon was another under the threat of snow.

Around 5cm had fallen since around 3am, however, the course was being worked throughout the night and by 8am the snow had stopped.

The going has changed slightly, though, and is now described as standard to slow.

Officials at Kempton called a second precautionary inspection for 10am after a first look at 8am proved inconclusive.

The meeting had already moved from its regular evening slot to a 3.05pm start and by 10am clerk of the course Barney Clifford was able to give it the green light.

Southwell’s all-weather meeting on Thursday must survive a 7.30am inspection but officials are confident there should be no issues unless the current forecast is wrong.

Wednesday racing action hinges on morning inspections

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All four British meetings scheduled for Wednesday must pass inspections if they are to go ahead.

Catterick and Fontwell, who both race over jumps, stage precautionary inspections at 8am while the all-weather Flat meetings at Kempton and Lingfield are also subject to precautionary checks at the same time.

Officials at Catterick are seeing forecasts suggesting temperatures could dip as low as -5C or -6C, with a high of 4C.

Fontwell will stage a precautionary inspection due to a yellow warning for snow.

However, the track reports there is a good chance that by 8am rain will have moved in to help “dissipate any snow accumulation”.

Lingfield is subject to a similar forecast, with the rain expected to help clear the show.

At Kempton, after the possibility of morning snow being cleared by rain, there is the chance of further snow later in the day.

Newcastle’s Tuesday card was called off due to snow, while prospects already look bleak ahead of Carlisle’s meeting on Thursday.

The course is currently unraceable following a -6C frost and while it may rise to 4C at some stage, further heavy frosts are forecast.

An inspection will be held at 3pm on Wednesday to see if racing can go ahead.

Newcastle abandoned as cold snap begins to bite

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Racecourses are bracing themselves for the latest cold snap to cause disruption to the fixture list with Catterick on Wednesday and Carlisle on Thursday facing inspections after Newcastle’s meeting on Tuesday was abandoned due to snow.

Officials at Catterick will stage a precautionary inspection at 8am ahead of racing with the forecast suggesting temperatures could dip as low as -5C or -6C.

While in the afternoon it could reach 4C, that may not be enough to save the card if the mercury dips as low as suggested.

Prospects already look bleak ahead of Carlisle’s meeting on Thursday.

The course is currently unraceable following a -6C frost overnight and while it may rise to 4C at some stage, further heavy frosts are forecasted.

An inspection will be held at 3pm on Wednesday to see if there is any prospect of racing going ahead.

Newcastle’s clerk of the course Eloise Quayle faced an easy decision ahead of an 8am inspection with the track covered in snow in freezing temperatures meaning an early call was made.

Fontwell will stage a precautionary 8am inspection due to a yellow warning for snow ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

However, forecasts suggests there is a good chance that by 8am rain will have moved in to help dissipate any snow accumulation.

The all-weather meeting at Lingfield on Wednesday must also survive an 8am precautionary inspection with a similar forecast.

Frost claims Warwick and Wincanton cards

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Wednesday’s meeting at Warwick and Thursday’s card at Wincanton have both been called off due to frozen tracks.

Officials at Warwick were due to inspect at noon on Tuesday ahead of the planned six-race card, but that check was brought forward after a seventh consecutive night of frost.

The track is frozen and will not recover in time for racing to go ahead.

It is a similar story at Wincanton, with their planned 4pm inspection on Wednesday brought forward more than 24 hours.

The Somerset track is frozen after temperatures dropped to minus 4C overnight.

Ffos Las staged the first turf action in six days on Monday, with 17 fixtures lost over the last week through the cold weather.

Lingfield call morning check ahead of Sunday jumps action

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Sunday’s meeting at Lingfield will need to pass a precautionary inspection at 8am on raceday if it is to go ahead.

The feature event of a planned nine-race fixture is the £165,000 Fleur De Lys Chase, with two other hurdles events worth £110,000 and £100,000 also on the card, which is the culmination of the Winter Million weekend.

The first of three days of action was claimed by the weather on Friday but Saturday’s all-weather card went ahead as planned.

While clerk of the course George Hill reported the track to be fit for action on Saturday afternoon, another chilly night is forecast and he admits some luck is required with the course covered overnight.

Lingfield raced on the all-weather track on Saturday
Lingfield raced on the all-weather track on Saturday (Steven Paston/PA)

He told Sky Sports Racing: “We have passed our 4pm inspection, we’re happy with conditions at the moment and we have now got a precautionary inspection for 8am.

“We’ve had a big team on track today. We’ve had a massive group effort with teams from Fontwell, Brighton, Uttoxeter, Windsor, Chepstow, head office – we had about 45-50 people on track, running our all-weather meeting too.

“It’s been pretty busy and hectic on site. Everyone has worked extremely hard and we’re trying out best. We’ve had a great day today and we’re excited for tomorrow.

“We need the better end of the forecast for tonight. It is going to be a cold night, we’ve done our best and covered up (the track), it’s been a big effort and we need the lower end of the forecast to be OK tomorrow morning.

“We will know by 8am what the weather has done, what the forecast is going to do and where we go from there.”

Should Lingfield get the go-ahead, it will break a barren spell for British National Hunt racing, with Hereford the last track to stage turf action on Monday.

Ffos Las has a jumps meeting on Monday
Ffos Las has a jumps meeting on Monday (David Davies/PA)

Saturday’s meetings at Ascot, Haydock and Taunton were all called off due to frozen tracks, while Sunday’s other jumps fixture at Fakenham was also cancelled.

Wolverhampton’s Saturday evening card drew to a close earlier than planned, with fog forcing its abandonment with four races still to run.

Ffos Las is due to race on Monday, with no issues reported at present, but Tuesday’s card at Exeter is subject to a 4pm inspection on Monday.

Leicester and Market Rasen are also scheduled to race over jumps on Tuesday, with both courses currently frozen.

Haydock calls off Peter Marsh Chase card

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Saturday’s meeting at Haydock has been called off due to a frozen track.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright had planned to hold a precautionary inspection at 8am on raceday to assess conditions ahead of the card, which was set to feature four Grade Two contests including the Peter Marsh Chase.

However, he brought that check forward after temperatures dropped to minus 3c overnight, leaving the course unraceable.

Lingfield hosts the feature all-weather meeting
Lingfield hosts the feature all-weather meeting (Julian Herbert/PA)

Haydock’s cancellation means it will be a fifth day in Britain with no jumps action as Ascot and Taunton had already abandoned, with Lingfield, Southwell and Wolverhampton flying the flag on the all-weather.

Lingfield are also scheduled to hold a classy National Hunt card on Sunday, but that meeting hinges on a 4pm inspection on Saturday.

There will be a jumps meeting in Ireland though, as Navan’s Saturday fixture will go ahead as planned after the chase track was declared fit for action following a morning check.