'We look safe and sound for racing' - Newbury positive about Super Saturday fixture

Newbury clerk of the course Keith Ottesen is confident the track will be fit for racing for its Betfair Super Saturday meeting this weekend.

Frost covers were deployed on Sunday as sub-zero temperatures were forecast to hit the area, and those sheets will remain in place until at least Friday.

Temperatures are expected to drop to -1C overnight on Wednesday, and -2C overnight on Thursday into Friday, but Ottesen has no concerns before the fixture, which is headlined by the £155,000 Betfair Hurdle.

He said: “We covered the track in its entirety on Sunday as the frost was coming and you never really know how long it’ll go on for. Although the previous three mornings have been frozen, daytime temperatures have risen to between 8C and 10C.

“It means the frost isn’t lingering, it’s coming out in the afternoon and it’s all positive news from that point of view.”

Course officials issued a warning last Friday to trainers and owners that firm could appear in the going description due to winter watering restrictions and unprecedented conditions, but the fixture still attracted 101 entries on Monday. The going was described as good on Wednesday, but Ottesen is cautious about when to remove the frost covers.

He said: “It’s a huge effort to cover the whole track and we’re not going to quickly whip them off based on the forecast.

“We’ll leave them until Friday at the earliest, but we need to ensure we’re not putting the track at risk. We have to be sure the temperatures remain positive.

“We’re not going to be any softer than good, but hopefully we can have as many runners. The main thing is that we look safe and sound for racing on Saturday.”

Read these next:

Betfair Hurdle: 'He's grossly overlooked - I'd only be pleased with a win'  

'This is a positive step' - Newbury prize-money increase hailed by Henderson and Balding

Festival subscription offer | 50% off three months  

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.