Weather Watch: Warwick cautiously optimistic for Saturday

Warwick’s William Hill Half A Mill Classic Chase card must survive a 2pm inspection on Friday.

Having been lost to the elements 12 months ago, officials are keen to get the meeting on and there has been a big improvement in conditions in the past 36 hours.

The track was frozen solid on Tuesday, but a milder night than expected and then temperatures up to 4C on Wednesday means the “majority” of the track is now frost free.

There was 5mm of rain overnight leaving the ground good, good to soft in places and plenty more rain is due during Thursday, with the possibility of up to 25mm falling.

However, that also brings with it the main threat, as overnight when the temperature drops there is a possibility of it turning to snow.

As a result an inspection has been called for Friday 2pm to give clerk of the course Nessie Chanter and her team the best chance to assess conditions.

Chanter said on Wednesday: “We’re obviously due this band of rain and if that stays as rain I’m cautiously optimistic that we might squeeze across the line, but if that turns to snow overnight it might just scupper us.”

Barney Clifford at Kempton has called a 2pm inspection on Thursday for the Lanzarote Hurdle meeting.

“We’ve had no improvement at all from 2pm Tuesday to 2pm Wednesday, so I’ve called an inspection for 2pm on Thursday to ascertain if there’s been any improvement in that 24 hours,” he said on Wednesday.

“Then we’ll see where we are and we’ll take it stage by stage.

“Even though it is 5C, I’ve seen no improvement from yesterday to today so unless it improves significantly in the next 24 hours…but we’ve still got a 0C tonight so we’ll see how we go.”

Wetherby remains frozen despite temperatures reaching 6C on Wednesday and with an “unfavourable forecast” over the coming days, clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson cancelled the meeting following a 3.30pm inspection.

Friday’s jumps card at Southwell is still on currently but the track is reported to be unraceable, while Huntingdon will inspect at 9am on Thursday for Friday.

Exeter’s Friday meeting must survive an inspection at 4pm on Thursday with heavy rain expected.

Taunton and Ffos Las anticipate no problems ahead of their Thursday cards but Catterick has already been abandoned.

In Ireland, Clonmel is fit for racing on Thursday, as is Fairyhouse on Saturday.  Naas, where they race on Friday, remains frozen in places but rain is forecast.