Ascot confident of beating weather

Racing is set to go ahead at Ascot tomorrow, but at least one of the two fences in the home straight could be omitted.

The going at the Berkshire course is heavy but there are a few areas of the course that had been waterlogged which officials are not happy with.

“We are likely to miss one jump, the first in the home straight, and will take a view on that and whether we have to miss out any others tomorrow. We might have to miss them both in the home straight,” said clerk of the course Chris Stickels.

“It’s been waterlogged and is a little bit false in places. We’re just not entirely satisfied the ground is as we want it in those areas, so we might have to miss those fences.”

However the meeting, featuring the Betfair Ascot Chase, is expected to beat the weather.

“Unless the forecast changes and they indicate colder weather we won’t need to inspect,” Stickels went on.

“We had a couple of millimetres of rainy, sleety snow overnight, but no frost.

“It’s a cloudy day at the moment. The forecast is for a frost tonight of minus two and providing that is correct and it doesn’t get any colder we should be all right.”