More rain on the way for Kempton as Leopardstown waits on watering call

A band of rain due to sweep across Britain and Ireland on Thursday and Friday looks to hold the key to likely going conditions for the major festive meetings in the two countries.

Officials at Kempton are expecting the going to ease from the current good to soft description before the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase card on December 26, while Leopardstown's staff will wait to see how much rain falls at the end of the week before making a decision on selective watering for a track which drains exceptionally well.

Boxing Day at Kempton now features four Grade 1s thanks to the rescheduling of the Long Walk Hurdle (12.45) lost to the cold snap at Ascot last Saturday, and clerk of the course Barney Clifford is pleased to see some rain in the forecast.

"We've had a total of 14mm here in the last 48 hours, which was welcome," said Clifford on Tuesday. "The current ground condition is good to soft. There is a fair bit of rain around on Thursday and Friday – it could be 15mm, it could be 25mm.

"If we get all of that it will obviously ease further. If I had to predict at the moment I think you'd be looking at good to soft with soft in places or even soft. It should be ideal for everyone."

Coral have promoted L'Homme Presse to be their outright 7-4 favourite for the King George (2.30), and news of the forecast ease in the ground will certainly cheer his supporters.

Clifford added: "Looking at the breakdown across the days and adding it altogether, you're looking at 25mm. But it could be 15mm and we're in a good position to take it.

"Entries for the Long Walk have held up really well and so has the King George. There's probably one or two in there who have been waiting for a drop of rain and it will help them to hear there's potential for 25mm."

Wetherby is in decent shape for its William Hill Rowland Meyrick Chase card on Monday, with a maximum of 15mm of rain due to fall on Friday on ground described as good to soft, followed by a largely dry outlook thereafter

"We had 6mm on Monday just gone, which is the first rain in a long time," said clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson.

"At the moment Friday looks like a wet day, with 10-15mm and then it's largely dry and with positive temperatures after that.

"Christmas Eve and Christmas Day look overcast with brightness coming in on the 26th and 27th and no frost until after racing Tuesday."

Ferny Hollow wins on day one of Leopardstown's Christmas festival last yearCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The likelihood of further selective watering before Leopardstown's Christmas festival is "dependent on the developing forecast", according to the Dublin track.

Conditions on Tuesday morning were described as yielding on the hurdles course, and yielding, good to yielding in places, on the chase track.

Scattered and blustery showers are expected on Wednesday, with approximately 10-20mm of rain forecast on Thursday and Friday. It is due to remain mild and unsettled into the weekend and early next week.

Meanwhile at Limerick, the ground is soft following 5mm of rain overnight. Tuesday is set to be mainly dry, but the forecast is unsettled for the remainder of the week following a clear spell.

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