Kempton calls inspection for Saturday's Lanzarote Hurdle card as Lingfield cancels its all-weather meeting on Friday

Saturday's sole remaining Premier raceday is under threat after Kempton called an 11.30am inspection on Friday due to frozen ground. 

The track is one of two jumps courses hoping to race in Britain this weekend following the cancellation of Wetherby and Wincanton earlier in the week, but temperatures of -6C early on Friday morning have left the track frozen in places. 

Aside from the frost, ground conditions are soft with heavy areas near the course's lake. The track is due to stage the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (3.18) and the Grade 2 Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (2.42), for which Pic D'Orhy is a warm favourite. 

Those races are due to be shown on ITV4 in a bumper ten-race schedule alongside action at Ffos Las, Fairyhouse, Newcastle and Chelmsford following the loss of Warwick's Classic Chase card on Thursday.

Two races each from Ffos Las and Chelmsford will be broadcast, as well as another all-weather contest from Newcastle and the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase (1.45) from Fairyhouse.

The coverage will be from 1-4pm, and if Kempton or any other meetings are cancelled, the show will still proceed as long as there is racing on from the remaining tracks.

ITV Racing's proposed coverage on ITV4 this Saturday

1.15 Ffos Las DragonBet Towton Novices' Chase (Grade 2) 2m3½f
1.35 Kempton Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Chase 2m4½f
1.45 Fairyhouse SBK Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m1f
2.00 Newcastle Gamble Responsibly BetUK Handicap 1m2f
2.10 Kempton Coral 'Pipped-At-The-Post' And Win Handicap Chase 3m
2.25 Ffos Las DragonBet The Independent Bookmaker Handicap Hurdle 3m
2.42 Kempton Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (Grade 2), 2m4½f
3.05 Chelmsford bet365 Handicap 1m
3.18 Kempton Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle 2m5f
3.40 Chelmsford bet365 Handicap 6f

Friday's meetings at Huntingdon and Doncaster have already been lost to the weather and were joined by Lingfield, which failed a second inspection at 9am. 

Clerk Stephanie Wethered hoped the track would improve over the course of the morning following lows of -7.2C, but the track failed to recover in time and the abandonment of the eight-race all-weather card left Newcastle as the sole fixture in Britain on Friday.

"Unfortunately we've had to abandon due to insufficient time ahead of racing," said Wethered. 

"Temperatures overnight were a lot lower than the forecast of -5C and it was meant to reach 0C for around 11am, but we couldn't see improvements on the track with the window we had in front of us. It's a shame, but we'll be looking forward future racedays."

Kelso: Sunday's card has been cancelledCredit: John Grossick

Lingfield was the first all-weather card to fall victim to the winter weather but became the 17th overall since the new year following Kelso's cancellation of its Sunday fixture due to similarly cold conditions.

The Scottish venue endured two nights of -5C or lower and temperatures were not expected to improve until Sunday morning, resulting in the track having no time to thaw ahead of its seven-race card. 

"We had a hard frost on Thursday and it was -6C again this morning," clerk James Armstrong said at 8am. "Temperatures today aren't really going to get above freezing and we have another night of frost ahead. It looks to be the same on Saturday, and sadly the warmer weather doesn't materialise until Sunday itself, and you need 24-48 hours to shift things. 

"If we were racing on Tuesday we'd have a fair shout, but unfortunately we've just run out of time. We made an early call to save everyone declaring horses, instead of trying to push on when we don't have any hope."

Weather prospects at a glance

Friday
Lingfield ABANDONED
Newcastle Going standard
Dundalk Going standard
Doncaster ABANDONED
Huntingdon ABANDONED

Saturday
Chelmsford Going standard to slow
Ffos Las Going soft
Kempton Going soft, heavy in places INSPECTION 11.30AM FRIDAY
Newcastle Going standard
Warwick ABANDONED
Wolverhampton Going standard
Fairyhouse Unfit for racing with parts of the track frozen
Wetherby ABANDONED

Sunday
Punchestown Unfit for racing with parts of the track frozen
Lingfield Going standard to slow
Kelso ABANDONED

Read more:

Cheltenham hotpots – assessing the horses likely to be popular in festival accas in March, plus David Jennings' verdict 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.