Leopardstown on weather watch
Conditions in Ireland are not quite as severe as in England but the showcase contest, formerly run as the Pierse Hurdle, is in jeopardy along with the rest of the card.
“It’s been a very cold morning here. We had a light dusting of snow again last night and quite a severe frost,” said Leopardstown general manager Tom Burke.
“At the moment the course is not raceable. It had improved a bit over the weekend but last night’s frost put as back a bit. Our nightime temperature is going down to minus two or minus three, and daytime getting up to two or three at best.
“Unfortunately the forecast going forward is not great, this is supposed to continue well into next week.
“At the moment we are monitoring on a daily basis and taking it from there, as such.”
Punchestown’s meeting on Saturday is also in doubt. The course is unfit for racing because of snow.
Jumping fans across-channel are clinging to the hope Saturday’s meeting Ffos Las can escape the clutches of the extreme wintry weather ravaging Britain.
The £50,000 SIS Live Welsh Champion Hurdle is the feature race at the Carmarthenshire track and the card has been boosted by the rescheduling of the Tolworth Hurdle from Sandown’s abandoned programme last Saturday.
Ffos Las is pulling out all the stops to stage the fixture and clerk of the course Tim Long remains hopeful, despite snow falling yesterday.
“We had a couple of inches of snow this morning, it all came very quickly, but it is rapidly disappearing,” he said.
“We’ve had a good thaw and it’s got to three degrees this afternoon and there’s a lot of sunshine.
“There could be another flurry of snow through tonight, but the forecast is for it stay round about the freezing mark day and night. If we get this total thaw, which it looks like we are, and we have 24-36 hours to have a good window to put sheets down to cover the whole course that’s what we are going to do.
“We are giving ourselves a fair chance. Geographically if anyone is going to be racing we’ve got the best chance and the forecast does give us a squeak.”
National Hunt fixtures are being called off at regular intervals but now widespread snow is starting to affect all-weather meetings, with Lingfield and Kempton today under threat.
Lingfield will hold a precautionary inspection at 6.30am.
Kempton this evening is subject to an 8am precautionary inspection.
Tomorrow’s two jumps cards at Huntingdon and Ludlow had no chance of going ahead.
“The track is frozen solid and we’d be kidding ourselves if we thought we’d beat the weather,” said clerk of the course Andrew Morris.
Ludlow clerk of the course Bob Davies said: “We were frozen and then it started snowing at 8am this morning. There is more snow forecast and temperatures are to stay below freezing for the foreseeable future.”
Bangor have announced a 2pm inspection today ahead of Friday’s jumps fixture and hold out little hope.
Friday’s Fontwell card is also subject to an inspection while officials at Wolverhampton are concerned about Friday’s all-weather programme.
The Fibresand surface is snow covered and with freezing temperatures the situation will be monitored and an update issued this morning.
on Wednesday morning.
While Ffos Las are fairly optimistic for Saturday the same cannot be said for the day’s two other jumps fixtures at Sedgefield and Wincanton.
The latter are due to inspect at 2pm tomorrow and Sedgefield have booked one for noon.
