'There's no frost at the moment' - Cheltenham hopeful despite cross-country loss

Friday's cross-country chase at Cheltenham was cancelled on Thursday but clerk of the course Jon Pullin has stressed that does not mean the rest of the day's races will be lost to the freezing weather.

Temperatures at the track dipped to -6C on Wednesday night and trainer Kim Bailey, based nearby in Andoversford, reported a low of -7C on his blog when he drove to his yard on Thursday morning, but the main courses that stage the conventional chase and hurdle races had by then been insulated with frost covers, which had left it raceable on Thursday.

The cross-country strip, given its size, could not be covered, but Pullin remains optimistic the course will pass a 7.30am inspection and the card's other six races will go ahead.

Speaking just after 3pm on Thursday, he said: "The forecast remains -3C/-4C overnight with daytime temperatures of 2C tomorrow, so we'll have a look at 7.30am and see where we are.

"There is a bit of sun around tomorrow, but not a great deal. There's no frost under the covers at the moment, so I'd be hopeful we'd be in a similar position in the morning and could make a fairly early decision one way or the other, but we won't really know until the morning.

"The cross-country course is too vast to cover and there were several areas that were frozen, but large amounts of it were okay. I'm certainly hopeful given conditions as they stand and the forecast."

ITV4 is also due to broadcast a race from Bangor on Friday, but an 8am inspection is scheduled, while the channel has content from Cheltenham and Doncaster as part of its Saturday coverage. Doncaster's Friday card also hinges on a 9am inspection.

If racing does not go ahead at Cheltenham or Bangor on Friday, the most likely scenario is alternative programming will be shown on ITV4. If one of the meetings survives, the coverage will come from there.

The broadcaster is understood to be working with the BHA, HRI and racecourses regarding Saturday. If Cheltenham or Doncaster are lost to the weather, it will endeavour to show racing from one of the day's other meetings.

Bangor: due to welcome ITV cameras on FridayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Bangor clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch said on Thursday lunchtime: "It was cold [-3C] last night, but we're fortunate the grass cover is very good and we're running on fresh lines because we've moved the hurdle rail in, and the chase rail has gone out.

"It was raceable at 10.00 this morning. We're in for another cold night tonight, so we'll have to see what happens. If we're about the same as last night, I'd be hopeful, but the temperatures could get colder depending on what forecast you are looking at and it also depends on when it starts to get above freezing in the morning.

"We've put covers on the take-off and landing areas and some other parts of the course and they're doing their job, but the grass cover is good, which is helping. There are sunny periods tomorrow, but with clouds. We need the clouds overnight and for them to go at daybreak and let the sun out. I'm hopeful."

BHA adds two more all-weather fixtures next week

The BHA has announced two additional all-weather fixtures will be held next week.

Lingfield will host a meeting on Monday December 12 while Southwell's Flat card will take place the following day.

Entries for the two fixtures will close on Friday at noon ahead of declarations on Saturday and Sunday, which both close at 10am.

Cheltenham Friday card

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