Saturday jumps fixtures could be moved as BHA considers schedule changes in face of severe winter weather

The BHA is expecting to make changes to this weekend's racing schedule in light of extreme weather conditions across Britain. 

Eight meetings have been called off due to difficult weather since Friday, and both jumps fixtures on Tuesday have also been cancelled as tracks struggle to cope with snow, rain and freezing temperatures. Thursday's card at Catterick was the latest to be called off with Newbury's meeting on the same day facing an inspection on Wednesday, while problems caused by the weather have extended to Ireland with that day's Clonmel's fixture cancelled.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings until Wednesday and an improving forecast at the end of the week may come too late for Saturday's Premier meetings at Warwick and Kempton, leaving the BHA to consider changing venues for the Grade 2 cards. 

"The BHA racing team is expecting to make changes this weekend and is currently reviewing options, including the possibility of whether a jumps fixture could be staged elsewhere," said Richard Wayman, BHA director of racing and betting, on Monday. 

ITV Racing is due to cover all the Graded action in Britain but is waiting to see what changes the BHA makes to the programme before creating a contingency plan. 

In the meantime, Warwick clerk Nessie Chanter is determined to give her track every possible chance ahead of a card that features the Classic Chase (3.00) and the Grade 2 Hampton Novices' Chase (2.25), despite conditions being unraceable on Monday. 

The scene on Monday at a snowy Clonmel, where Thursday's card has been cancelled

"After 30 millimetres of rain overnight the brook has burst its banks and reached parts of the course," she said on Monday afternoon. "The track is currently under water, but we hope it will drain back and we're doing everything we can to help it. 

"The next challenge is that the temperatures from Tuesday night look set to go sub-zero, and we can't cover the track where its waterlogged, so we need the water to go down. It normally takes up to three days to recede, so we're rather sitting on our hands at the moment. 

"We seem to have had all the seasons in one go, with wind, snow, sleet and rain. It's fairly challenging, but we're up for the challenge."

Comment:

• Frustration over abandonments is understandable - it's time to kick our inspection system into shape

Waterlogging has also become an issue at Kempton, which is due to stage the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase (2.42). The bend nearest to the lake has become unraceable due to standing water and more rain and snow could arrive at the track before Saturday's card. 

Wetherby's meeting is headlined by the Grade 2 Towton Novices' Chase (1.27), but the Yorkshire track is facing a similarly bleak outlook.

"There was a lot of sleety rain last night, around an inch," said clerk Jonjo Sanderson on Monday. "We've got snow plus standing water in areas given the rain. 

"You wouldn't be racing on it today, and the temperatures aren't in our favour. The forecast says it will start dipping sub-zero from Tuesday night onwards. Looking at the outlook, every night this week is -4C or colder. 

"I can't say I'm overly optimistic and we've lost the opportunity to cover it due to the snow. When it thaws, it will leave us with widespread flooding on the track because the snow from the hills will come down too. It's a bad week, and there's not much we can do."

Read more:

'There isn’t a clerk in the country who carries on regardless' -  is there a perfect time to inspect or abandon? 

All-Weather Championships special: which trainers, jockeys and horses have been setting the pace this winter? 

'We’re not in the business of just dragging people here' - Chepstow defends decision-making as card abandoned after two races

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