Wetherby has all-hurdles option for Saturday as course faces Friday inspection

A provisional all-hurdles card has been scheduled for Wetherby on Saturday, should the chase track fail an 8am inspection on Friday.

Three chases are scheduled to take place at the fixture, including the Grade 2 William Hill Towton Novices' Chase, but two additional hurdles races have been created by the BHA should the chase track be unfit. Entries for these races close at noon on Thursday.

The rearranged Cleeve Hurdle is the highlight at Wetherby after last weekend's Festival Trials Day meeting was lost at Cheltenham, while the Cotswold Chase from the same fixture forms part of an all-chase card at Sandown on Saturday.

The hurdles races were called off at Sandown on Wednesday after officials inspected following 5mm of rain overnight and found the track to be waterlogged.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said: "There's too great an extent of false ground for much of the home straight over hurdles, so much so we were struggling to find a safe site for a single hurdle.

"It's patchy. Little bits are okay and then there's a horrible bit. There was no consistency at all. It [the hurdles course] produced a GoingStick reading of 3.2 and we've never raced on below 4.0.

"The forecast is for potentially another 5mm tomorrow, so we're not going to get better in the context of Saturday. We just felt it wasn't a safe and appropriate course to be racing on with any degree of confidence."

Hitman: entered in the Scilly Isles Novices' ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

The meeting will now feature six chases, including the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase and rearranged Cotswold Chase. The first race will be at 1.15 and the card will finish at 4.05, with the first five to be shown on ITV4.

There are no further inspections planned and Cooper is optimistic.

"I wouldn't be concerned about forecast rain for tomorrow, potentially heavy showers, but it's still an unsettled, volatile forecast," he said.

"We're not envisaging problems on the chase course but at this time of year with this weather you have to take each day as it comes. I'm not going to say absolutely confident but we should be fine."

The BHA has not announced whether the Contenders Hurdle and Grade 3 handicap hurdle will be rescheduled.

Down Royal among Thursday inspections

Down Royal has called a 7.30am inspection tomorrow morning after conditions worsened at the track.

It is now heavy, soft in places on the chase course and heavy on the hurdles track after 32mm of rain since declarations on Tuesday morning.

The course is fit to race but there is the possibility of an additional 10mm of rain, which has prompted officials to schedule an inspection.

Chepstow in the balance

Officials at Chepstow have called a 4pm inspection tomorrow for the course's fixture on Friday.

There is the possibility of an isolated shower tomorrow but the course is raceable and clerk of the course Libby O'Flaherty is positive it will pass the inspection.

She said: "The forecasters are saying we could have a completely dry day tomorrow or we could catch a heavy shower. If we caught 8mm we'd have to have another look, but at the moment I'm very optimistic.

"If you look at all of the app forecasts they say it's going to be dry but there's just a small chance so it's better to be prepared."

Jump racing prospects for the week

Thursday

Down Royal
Chase – heavy, soft to heavy in places; Hurdle – heavy
Outlook: Further rain forecast through to Thursday bringing up to 20mm before racing, track must pass 7.30am inspection

Ffos Las
Heavy
Outlook: Dry first thing on Thursday with occasional showers in the afternoon

Wincanton
Heavy
Outlook: Course passed an 8am inspection Tuesday and the track is raceable

Friday

Catterick
Heavy
Outlook: Thursday and Friday mainly dry although a risk of showers. To remain above freezing through to racing

Chepstow
Heavy
Outlook: Mainly dry with a chance of showers on Thursday and dry on Friday. Inspection at 4pm on Thursday but officials are confident the course will pass

Saturday

Leopardstown
Chase – Soft, yielding in places; Hurdle – Soft, heavy in places
Outlook: 34mm of rain over weekend, unsettled through the week

Musselburgh (races Sunday too)
Good to soft
Outlook: A windy week with potential for between 18-40mm of rain from Tuesday to Friday. Small chance of snow but expected to be limited to higher ground

Sandown
Chase – Soft, heavy in places
Outlook: Saturday's card restricted to chases only

Wetherby
Heavy, soft in places
Outlook: An inspection has been called for 8am on Friday for the chase course. Expected to be heavy but raceable with current forecast

Sunday

Leopardstown
Chase – Soft, yielding in places; Hurdle – Soft, heavy in places
Outlook: 34mm of rain over weekend, unsettled through the week

Musselburgh
Good to soft
Outlook: risk of frost overnight Saturday into Sunday with temperatures expected to drop to -1C

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