Racing goes ahead at Fontwell on Sunday after track passes second inspection

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Fontwell's seven-race jumps card will go ahead as planned after the track passed its second inspection on Sunday morning.

Following a 12.30pm inspection on Saturday, a second check was called with temperatures dropping to below zero overnight. Although air temperatures dropped to -1C, the track was deemed raceable shortly after 8am.

The chase course is described as soft, while the hurdles track is soft, good to soft in places, and the first race begins at 1pm.

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Next weekend's racing programme, featuring the Berkshire Winter Million, is set to go ahead as planned with the cold snap set to ease off after high-profile meetings at Warwick and Fairyhouse were lost on Saturday.

The three-day Winter Million starts on Friday at Windsor, where clerk of the course Charlie Rees said on Saturday: "We're normally pretty lucky as we're probably one of the warmer places in the UK. 

"We did have frost and we had to wait until about 10.30 for it to thaw this morning. But temperatures are increasing throughout next week. If the forecast is correct, we'll be absolutely fine. It looks like we'll get a nice bit of rain on Tuesday, which will be well received, and the potential for a bit during racing on Friday as well."

The Million moves on to Ascot the following day, when the Grade 1 BetMGM Clarence House Chase is the feature event.

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "It's due to be milder and unsettled, with rain or showers most days. There are no concerns given the current forecast."

Saturday's other principal meeting is the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock, where clerk of the course Daniel Cooper said: "We're currently frozen in places and snow and ice is forecast for tomorrow but then a milder rain band comes quite quickly.

"From Sunday afternoon onwards, next week looks to be milder and manageable. It looks to be a raceable weather forecast."

Cooper does not expect ground conditions to be too testing. He said: "The next rain band comes on Tuesday, then it looks largely dry for the rest of the week. I don't think it'll be a test, I'm expecting good to soft over hurdles and a mixture of good to soft and soft on the chase course."

'I'm more confident than for quite a while'

There were two inspections at Fontwell on Saturday but frost fears have eased and clerk of the course Philip Hide said at noon: "I'm probably more confident now than I've been for quite a while. It wasn't straightforward this morning but we're in a good place now.

"It's going to drop to  -1C/-2C before midnight but all the forecasts are aligned in saying that a warmer air mass is coming in. Rather than the dawn dip we had this morning, the temperature will start going up from the early hours.

"We're having an inspection at 8.30am and I'll be on site from 5.45am."

Hereford: Monday's card with 88 runners is expected to go aheadCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

No problems are expected at Hereford, where Monday's card has attracted a bumper 88 runners.

Clerk of the course Molly King said: "We froze slightly again this morning. It got to -0.5C at 7am or 8am and it was crispy on top. But we're hoping to be at 10C by late afternoon tomorrow and that's carrying on overnight into Monday, so if the forecast is correct we should be fine.

"We have a lot of runners and I suppose we're benefiting from all the meetings that have been off."

Saturday's cancelled meeting at Fairyhouse featuring the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase has been rescheduled to Wednesday.

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