Sandown 'cautiously optimistic' for Imperial Cup day

There is cautious optimism about Sandown’s Imperial Cup fixture going ahead on Saturday but clerk of the course Andrew Cooper has stressed the outlook for the rest of the week remains unclear.

The Esher track stages its Grand Military Gold Cup meeting on Tuesday and there are no concerns over frost for the weekend, with temperatures unlikely to drop below 1C after Tuesday night.

Some forecasts suggest snow could hit the south of England on Saturday, while there is potential for rain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the area.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said on Tuesday morning: “There’s no reason not to be cautiously optimistic for Saturday but I would say it’s not a clear picture yet.

“Every day we are seeing a different nuance to the forecast and some forecasts today suggest snow could possibly be an issue in the south on Saturday, whereas it was showing rain yesterday.

“We’ll have to take a day-by-day assessment of how things are looking. Frost doesn’t look to be a concern but snow or potentially volumes of rain could be. There are no immediate concerns – it’s too far out – but we are keeping an eye on the various forecasts.”

An additional fixture at Wolverhampton has been added on Friday. Entries and weights will be available on Wednesday, with final declarations coming at the 24-hour stage.

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