Inspections at four jumps meetings

Four of tomorrow’s fixtures in Britain are subject to precautionary morning inspections – including the Coral Welsh National meeting at Chepstow.

Sub-zero temperatures and widespread snow flurries are forecast, which has put the meetings at Wetherby, Huntingdon, Leicester and Chepstow in jeopardy.

To that end, Chepstow, whose biggest programme of the year also features the rescheduled totesport Long Walk Hurdle, have called a precautionary inspection for 7.30am.

“We are due to have some cloud cover early in the night but then it is forecast to clear and temperatures could go down to minus one,” said clerk of the course Tim Long.

“I’m not expecting the frost to penetrate but the temperatures aren’t due to rise dramatically in the day.

“We are very optimistic, but with the unpredictability of the weather, we felt it prudent to take a look.”

Wetherby have called a precautionary inspection for 7.30am due to the threat of frost.

Freezing conditions were forecast at the West Yorkshire track last night and chief executive James Sanderson is hoping the frost will not materialise again.

“We are forecast to go down to minus two – the same as we were last night - but the frost didn’t materialise and let’s hope it doesn’t again,” he said.

“As soon as you get into the realms of minus two or three, you really need to have look.”

Huntingdon officials will also take a precautionary look at 7.30am.

Clerk of the course Fiona Needham said: “Even though temperatures are set to drop to minus one degrees and there may be the odd flurry of snow, we are very confident racing will go ahead.

“It’s always better to be safe than sorry though, which is why we have called a precautionary inspection.”

An 8am inspection at Leicester is also precautionary as an overnight frost is forecast, bringing with it the possibility of snow.

Clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson explained: “Hopefully it will be nothing too serious and I’m very hopeful of going ahead.”