Naas passes morning inspection but Catterick cancelled due to frozen track

Jumps action will go ahead in Ireland on Sunday after Naas passed its morning inspection, but Catterick's card has been cancelled after a hard overnight frost.

The wet and freezing weather which has played havoc with the sport this month shows no sign of abating with Sedgefield, Limerick and Warwick all announcing inspections for their meetings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Naas had passed an inspection on Saturday afternoon, but another was called for 7.30am on Sunday due to the threat of more rainfall overnight.

After a dry night, the eight-race card was given the go ahead with IHRB spokesman Niall Cronin saying: "Following a track inspection this morning, the track at Naas was found to be fit for racing and the fixture scheduled for today goes ahead.

Sunday's racecards

"The ground remains heavy following a dry night and the forecast is for 5-6mm (approx) of rain throughout the day, possibly turning to sleet or snow."

An exciting card features two Grade 3 contests, the Limestone Lad Hurdle (1.15) and Naas Racecourse Business Club Novice Chase (3.15), which is due to feature Pencilfulloflead, runner-up in a Grade 1 last time.

'In the end it was a reasonably easy decision' – Catterick cancels after harsh overnight frost

Catterick had scheduled an 8am inspection ahead of its seven-race card but officials arrived this morning to a frozen track after another night of subzero temperatures. With no expectation of the frost thawing, the decision was made to cancel just after 6am.

It means there will be no jumps racing in Britain for the third day this week as rain and freezing weather continues to wreak havoc across the sport. Wolverhampton's all-weather fixture will be the only racing to take place in Britain on Sunday.

The card at Catterick had been hastily arranged following the loss of its previous meeting last Wednesday and hopes had been high with the track in a raceable condition on Saturday and frost covers deployed on takeoffs, landings and vulnerable areas.

But that did not prove enough to save the fixture and clerk of the course Fiona Needham admitted her frustration at the situation.

"I'm a bit fed up really," she said. "It was -5C when I got here this morning, it had been freezing most of the night and it's still freezing hard now. In the end it was a reasonably easy decision but its just a bit annoying really.

Catterick clerk of the course Fiona Needham: '

"We were perfectly raceable on Saturday and yesterday morning I thought we had a good chance. But the forecast kept changing and it got worse as the day went on, the skies cleared and the temperature plummeted I'm afraid."

The recent wet weather had already caused Sunday's scheduled meetings at Fontwell and Uttoxeter to be cancelled, while Hereford's meeting on Monday also suffered the same fate.

Catterick is due to stage racing again on Friday, February 5, and Needham is more optimistic on that card going ahead: "That [forecast for Friday] looks better so onwards and upwards," she said.

Sedgefield, Limerick and Warwick the latest to inspect

Fixtures at Sedgefield, Limerick and Warwick are the latest to be placed in danger with the three tracks facing inspections ahead of their cards on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The track at Sedgefield is currently frozen and officials will inspect at 2.30pm on Sunday to determine if racing can go ahead on Monday. Temperatures are expected to rise to around 4C today before dropping to below zero again overnight.

Rain could put pay to Limerick's card on Tuesday where the ground is currently heavy with 15-20mm of rain forecast. An inspection will be held at 3pm on Monday.

There is standing water on the course at Warwick and the track was not in a raceable condition on Sunday morning.

The water is receding, but with more rain forecast an inspection will be held by 8am on Monday morning to determine if Wednesday's eight-race card can go ahead.

Meanwhile, Fairyhouse's waterlogged Saturday card, which was due to feature the Grade 3 Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle, has been rescheduled for Monday, February 8.

Lingfield and Newcastle's jumps fixtures on Tuesday were cancelled on Thursday and were replaced with jumpers' bumpers cards, with the Surrey track staging one on Monday before Newcastle does so on Tuesday.

Wednesday's fixture at Leicester was also cancelled last week due to a waterlogged track.

Weather prospects

Sunday

Catterick
Cancelled (frozen track)

Fontwell
Cancelled (waterlogged)

Naas
Heavy
Outlook: Following a track inspection on Sunday morning, the track at Naas remains heavy and fit for racing

Uttoxeter
Cancelled (waterlogged)

Monday

Dundalk
Standard
Outlook: light rain

Hereford
Cancelled (Waterlogged)

Lingfield
Standard to slow
Outlook: 2-5mm on Sunday and another 2-3mm on Monday

Sedgefield
Frozen (was heavy)
Outlook: Inspection to be held at 2.30pm on Sunday. Temperatures are expected to rise to around 4C today before dropping to below zero again overnight

Wolverhampton
Standard

Tuesday

Lingfield
Cancelled (Waterlogged)

Limerick
Heavy
Outlook: An inspection will be held at 3pm on Monday. Forecast is for 15-20mm of rain but the track is currently fit for racing

Newcastle
Turf cancelled, all-weather standard to slow
Outlook: Sunday cold start with top temperatures of 3-4C. Monday 5C, overcast and dry. Tuesday 2C overcast with rain 5-10mm

Southwell
Standard
Outlook: Unsettled forecast for the week ahead. Mixture of sunny spells and showers

Wednesday

Chelmsford
Standard

Exeter
Heavy, soft in places
Outlook: 12-13mm of rain Friday to Monday. Showers Tuesday. Wednesday potential 10-11mm of rain

Kempton
Standard to slow

Leicester
Cancelled (waterlogged)

Warwick
Heavy, standing water in places
Outlook: Inspection at 8am on Monday. Sunday and Monday look cool and largely dry before a further spell of persistent rain early Tuesday (potentially 12-14mm). Bright spells and the chance of further showers on Wednesday. Temperatures of around 8C.

Thursday

Chelmsford
Standard

Ffos Las
Heavy
Outlook: Chance of some light snow showers on Sunday. Improving Monday and rest of the week with sunny intervals and some outbreaks of light rain

Southwell
Standard

Wincanton
Heavy, standing water in places
Outlook: 8mm of rain expected on Sunday. Showers and rain next week

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