No weather worries for Newbury’s Hennessy meeting
The going at the venue is currently soft, heavy in places and although some rain is forecast early in the week, drier and cooler weather is expected later on.
Clerk of the course Richard Osgood is pleased with how the track has coped with the wet spell.
“The amount of rain we have taken has gone through us very well,” said Osgood.
“We verti-drained towards the end of October, so we’ve had very little compaction since so most of the water has gone through the holes and away.
“The forecast is for some rain tonight but not nearly as much we have been getting for the last couple of nights, so it shouldn’t cause us any problem.
“After Tuesday it does get a bit colder. We may get some light frost, but not heavy frost, towards the weekend.
“I think we will take the precautions of covering the take-offs and landings and see how the forecast develops.
“If we need to do more than that, we will.”
Newcastle are bracing themselves for more inclement weather ahead of their big meeting on Saturday, featuring the StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle.
The going is described as soft, heavy in places with further rain expected on Monday before colder weather sets in later in the week.
While conditions are certain to be testing, officials at the Gosforth Park track have prepared fresh ground for their prestigious fixture.
“It’s drying up a bit today, but tomorrow we could see yet more heavy rain and we could get another inch,” said clerk of the course James Armstrong.
“From Tuesday onwards things look drier but the wind is going to change direction and blow in from the north. ”Wintry showers are not ruled out, so we will have to keep an eye on things.
“Whatever happens, the going will be extremely testing.
“We have saved a lot of fresh ground for the Fighting Fifth and we have moved hurdle sites in so they are all on fresh ground bar one flight and it is ground that has not been raced on since March.”
The incessant wet weather continues to play havoc with the fixture list.
There was no racing in Britain yesterday and the all-weather meetings at Southwell on Monday and Tuesday having been abandoned.
Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan was forced to call an impromptu 9.45am inspection on Sunday due to rising levels in several streams around the track.
That check showed parts of the track to be waterlogged and Duncan reports further issues in some of the racecourse buildings.
He said: “The track has not worsened, but all the buildings and the offices are going under water.
“There is further rain forecast – it’s not going to improve.”
Wednesday’s meeting at Southwell is now subject to an 8am inspection on Monday, while Tuesday’s fixtures at Lingfield must pass a precautionary inspection at the same time.
Lingfield clerk of the course Neil MacKenzie Ross said: “Potential further heavy rain could cause us a problem and there is as much as 10mm forecast tonight.
“We are raceable at present but we just want to make people aware that further rain could be an issue.”
Prospects at Wetherby on Wednesday look bleak with the course already waterlogged and more rain on the way.
Officials have called an inspection for 2pm on Monday after 35 millimetres of rain hit an already heavy West Yorkshire track overnight on Saturday. “If we get another dump of rain tonight then we’ll have no chance. ”The land is so wet now and can’t take it,“ said head groundsman Ian Ward.
Wednesday’s meeting at Fontwell is under threat with an inspection called for 3pm on Monday. The track is reported to be heavy, waterlogged in places with patches of false ground after 20 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours. Clerk of the course Ed Arkell said: “We are not raceable at present and further rain will not help.”
