Weather Watch: Haydock and Ascot call inspections

Saturday’s high-profile fixtures at Ascot and Haydock will have to pass inspections if they are to go ahead.

Ascot’s card features the Grade One LK Bennett Clarence House Chase, but the Berkshire track has been unraceable since Tuesday morning and clerk of the course Chris Stickels will hold a 4pm inspection on Thursday to assess the prospects of racing.

He said: “We are currently unraceable, the track is frozen in places. It is even frozen in places under the frost covers.

“We were not raceable at all yesterday, despite temperatures getting up to 5C during the day. It got down to -1.75C last night and we want to see if there is any improvement today.”

If Ascot is abandoned, then it seems likely the Clarence House Chase, set to feature a clash between Energumene and Edwardstone, will be staged at Cheltenham on Saturday week. That happened in both 2013 and 2017, when Sprinter Sacre and Un De Sceaux prevailed.

Haydock is due to stage four Grade Two events, including The New One Unibet Hurdle and Peter Marsh Chase.

However, the Merseyside venue was hit by snow overnight, prompting clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright to call a noon inspection on Friday to assess whether racing can go ahead.

He said: “We have had half an inch of snow overnight with a frost, so things are not looking as good as they were.

“We have called an inspection for noon tomorrow and we would need to see the snow gone by then if we are to persevere.

“It depends on which forecast you look at – on the most optimistic it’s just about feasible, but on the most pessimistic we will be beaten.”

Jumps action is also scheduled at Taunton on Saturday, with officials calling an 8am precautionary inspection on raceday.

The course is currently raceable, but frost is forecast.

There will be no turf racing in Britain on Friday – a fourth successive blank day – as Market Rasen called off their card following a noon inspection on Thursday.

Tuesday was a wipeout on the National Hunt scene in Britain with Chepstow called off, while Wednesday cards at Plumpton and Newbury were also called off.

The card at Wincanton on Thursday was called off the previous afternoon, while frost also accounted for the Fairyhouse fixture on the same day in Ireland. Newcastle cancelled on Tuesday and Ludlow abandoned following an inspection on Wednesday morning.

Officials at Wincanton had planned to inspect on raceday morning but with track reported to be still frozen on Wednesday afternoon, they made an early decision to cancel the fixture.

Thursday’s fixture at Fairyhouse was called off following a 3pm inspection, although the card has already been rescheduled for next Wednesday.

Brendan Sheridan, IHRB clerk of the course said: “Following an inspection at Fairyhouse today, parts of the track remain unfit for racing.

“We have spoken with Met Eireann and with an unfavourable weather forecast again for tonight, we have no choice but to cancel tomorrow’s meeting.

“Having consulted with Horse Racing Ireland and with a rise in temperatures towards the weekend, this fixture will now take place on Wednesday, January 25.”