ITV4 to show races from Doncaster and Punchestown on Friday as well as Perth following Sandown's abandonment

ITV has confirmed a revised schedule for Friday after Sandown's Flat card was called off due to unsafe ground.

Coverage on ITV4 will now feature four races from Perth, three from Doncaster and the opening contest from the penultimate day of the Punchestown festival.

Race times for the first three races at Doncaster have also been pushed back to provide more space between races.

ITV4 schedule on Friday

1.30 Perth: Lengthen The Odds At BetVictor Handicap Hurdle, 2m
1.45 Doncaster: At The Races App Form Study Handicap, 7f
2.05 Perth: BetVictor Highland National Handicap Chase, 3m6½f
2.20 Doncaster: Download The At The Races App Novice Stakes, 6f
2.40 Perth: BetVictor Kinnoull Novices' Hurdle, 2m
2.55 Doncaster: Download The At The Races App Novice Stakes, 6f
3.15 Perth: Edith Bowman At Perth Ladies Day Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, 3m
3.40 Punchestown: Stanley Asphalt Hunters Chase for the Bishopscourt Cup, 2m5f

Sandown failed an inspection on Friday morning after it revealed false patches of ground, and came after 12mm of rain in the late afternoon and evening on Thursday. This came on top of 21mm of rain since last Friday.

There were three Group prizes on offer on Sandown's first day of the Flat season, including the bet365-sponsored Mile and Classic Trial. The 2021 Derby hero Adayar was the star attraction on the card, set to make his seasonal reappearance in the Gordon Richards Stakes.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said on Friday morning: "We've had just over 12mm of rain here overnight. It started at 3.30pm and was quite light, but it really escalated at 6pm and didn't stop until 11pm. I thought we should announce a precautionary inspection knowing there was more rain, which did come.

"The ground is too inconsistent for Flat racing, there were a significant number of false areas which couldn't be avoided. That's the crux of the call and it's not really going to improve within the timeframe. It's not fit for purpose today."

No inspection is scheduled ahead of Saturday's jumps finale card at Sandown. The ground was officially good on the chase track and good, good to soft on the hurdles course on Thursday morning but it is expected to have eased ahead of racing.

"I haven't had a chance to assess the impact of the rain here [on the jumps track] but it will have eased. There will be no issues, though, and no inspection planned, " Cooper added.

Read more:

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Cracking the Punchestown festival puzzle with David Jennings' day four tips 

Confirmed runners and riders for the Celebration Chase and bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday 

'On ratings he is the one to be with' - State Man out to confirm himself as the dominant two-mile hurdler in Ireland 

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