Racing hit hard by weather (From The Northern Echo)

Racing hit hard by weather

12:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Horse Racing News By Niall Hannity

As the cold snap tightens its grip, fingers are crossed that Ffos Las gets the go ahead this morning after their 9am inspection.

Today's big meetings Sandown and Wetherby have already suffered to the frost, amazingly Sandown had been protected with fleece covers all week, but that, still, couldn't hold out the frost, leaving clerk of the course Andrew Cooper with little choice but to call it a day: "It's obviously disappointing but I think, to be fair, we probably knew it was going to be an uphill battle at the close of play on Thursday.

"It dropped to minus 4C here over the last few nights, but the wind chill has also dropped, so in a way it's not really any worse than it was yesterday.

"We are frozen in places, despite the covers being down, and it was a relatively straightforward decision.''

Wetherby gave there fixture every chance but after an inspection at 3pm yesterday afternoon clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson knew he was time to call it off.

"I walked the course two hours ago and it had only improved marginally since this morning,'' he said.

"The temperature peaked at a giddy 3C for about 40 minutes but it is now dropping again.

"We are still frozen solid in places and frost will fall from 5pm and it's due to be minus 6C for five or six hours.

"We're not raceable now so it is a sensible decision; it's one of the easiest I've ever had to make, unfortunately, as it's one of our good days."

I really hope Ffos Las can get the go ahead as it's their big meeting of the year, featuring the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle.

Clerk of the course Tim Long covered the track earlier in the week in a bid to safeguard the fixture; however, frost has crept under the covers after a chilly night and Long will check conditions.

Speaking yesterday morning, Long said: "We had a sharper frost than expected on Thursday night, minus 5C verging on minus 6C at its worst.

"Unsurprisingly it does feel a bit frozen under the covers.

"We are forecast a dry and clear day, with a maximum of 2C or 3C, and then it is due to remain clear into the night with the temperature dropping to minus 1C or 2C.

"Cloud cover is then forecast with some rain but it's a question of how soon that comes in so we will look at 9am when we will have a better idea."

Dai Walters, owner of the racecourse, will want it on more than most as he also owns the hot favourite for the race Oscar Whiskey, who landed the race last year.

It is crucial for the horse as connections are still unsure to aim the seven-year-old at the Cheltenham Festival, which is less than six weeks away.

The options are the Champion Hurdle or the World Hurdle and today's race would help make that decision.

Among his rival are Starluck and Ashkazar but you can't help feel Oscar Whiskey's biggest danger is Jack Frost himself.