Brian Clifford: "taking every possible step to ensure King George is run"
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/ racingpostpix.comKempton covers track to protect King George card
FROST covers will on Thursday morning be laid at Kempton in a bid to protect the two-day William Hill King George VI Chase meeting from the freezing temperatures that have arrived with a vengeance in much of Britainand Ireland.
Sub-zero overnight temperatures, snow showers - evident at Newbury on Wednesday - and frost all threaten to disrupt the racing programme in the next few days, and officials at Kempton have taken a pro-active stance, with their meeting still ten days away.
The BHA also reacted to potential jump racing abandonment by creating an additional fixture at Wolverhampton this Saturday afternoon, entries for which are on Thursday.
Kempton clerk of the course Brian Clifford said on Wednesday night: "The plan is to deploy frost covers tomorrow morning, as long as the racecourse is not covered in snow.
"The forecast towards Christmas and Boxing day is for the south east to get a lot milder but we're taking every possible step to de-risk and ensure the William Hill King George meeting goes ahead."
Meetings at Ayr and Folkestone have already fallen victim to the frost this week, and racecourses across Britain and Ireland have been working to avoid further abandoned meetings, with several tracks now covered in white canvas frost sheets.
