Limerick doubt for Satuday, UK courses face late checks

Limerick have called an inspection for 11am on Saturday ahead of their meeting on Sunday.

The Irish Turf Club’s Cliff Noone said: “They have found parts of the course to be waterlogged today.

“They will hold an 11am inspection to further assess the prospects for Sunday’s meeting.”

Meanwhile ,in the UK, prospects for Hexham on Monday hinge on an inspection at 8am on Sunday.

However, with the course currently covered by three inches of snow and unraceable, that check may be brought forward to Saturday afternoon if conditions do not improve.

The going was described as heavy before the snow fell.

Wetherby also stage a precautionary inspection ahead of Saturday’s meet.

Although the track is raceable at present, clerk of the course James Sanderson is concerned by an unfavourable overnight forecast.

He said: “We will have a precautionary inspection in the morning in view of the forecast as snow, sleet, rain, hail, in fact pretty much any foul weather you can think of, is due to pass over us so quite what we will wake up to, I don’t know.

“I’m expecting temperatures to drop to minus two or three overnight before getting up to four or five degrees tomorrow with some rain, snow or sleet.”

Finally, Officials at Musselburgh have called a precautionary inspection ahead of Sunday’s meeting.

Clerk of the course Anthea Morshead is anticipating a frost at the Scottish venue on Friday night and will check conditions at 2pm on Saturday.

She explained: “We have had two different forecasts, both predict a frost of minus four tonight but the one from the Met Office doesn’t forecast one for Saturday night.

“They said it will get to plus three or four on Saturday and stay at that kind of temperature overnight, rising to plus six or seven on Sunday.

“If that forecast is correct, we shouldn’t have any problems as we are absolutely fine at the moment.

“The forecast has been changing so much though so we thought it best to take a look. If the second forecast is right, we should be able to give it the go-ahead there and then.”