Wet weather forecast for bumper Christmas programme

Kempton’s clerk of the course Barney Clifford remains upbeat that the weather will not interfere with Thursday's glittering card even though the forecast is predicting rain during racing.

The showpiece event on the six-race card is the Grade 1 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase and Clifford said on Monday: “We now have 5-10mm of rain in the forecast for Boxing Day which we could well do without.

“If that amount of rain materialises during racing on Thursday then there is a chance that Friday’s card could then be run on heavy going as the rain will get into the opened up ground. But we are taking it a day at a time at present.”

Kempton: it could rain during racing on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Clifford said the ground at the Sunbury course was soft on Monday with a GoingStick readings of 6.7 on the chase course and 5.5 on the hurdle track. He added: “Those readings indicate things have dried out a fraction on Monday.”

The Grade 1 action at Leopardstown, where there is the possibility of showers Tuesday morning and up to 10mm of rain on Thursday morning, is expected to take place on ground described as yielding on the chase course and soft, yielding in places on the hurdle and bumper course.

The ground at Limerick is currently heavy, with the possibility of up to 8mm of rain over the next few days while Down Royal's fixture is expected to take place on ground given as yielding, yielding to soft in places with a dry forecast until Thursday, when there is a risk of showers.

Faugheen is set to face Samcro at LimerickCredit: Patrick McCann

Any issues with lying water on the track at Wincanton have subsided following a drying day at the Somerset circuit on Monday, with clerk of the course Dan Cooper now happy that there are no foreseeable problems ahead of their Boxing Day meeting.

He said: “The lying water on the track has almost gone and, while we continue to monitor the situation, we have a dry outlook until Boxing Day morning when a few showers are forecast. We are currently heavy, soft in places and I think that is where we will be come Thursday and racing.”

No complications are in the offing at Wetherby with head groundsman Ian Ward happy with a going assessment of soft all over on both the chase track and hurdle course on Monday afternoon but some rain is forecast to fall overnight.

He said: “We are due a drop more rain on Monday evening that maybe heavy at times but it is due to have blown over by Tuesday morning before a dry couple of days leading up to Boxing Day so there should not be any problems.”

Jack Pryor acts as clerk of the course at Huntingdon – which was forced to abandon Boxing Day’s meeting on Monday morning – and Market Rasen, but he foresees no problem with the fixture at the Lincolnshire track.

He said: “Huntingdon unfortunately went due to facilities being flooded but there are no issues at Market Rasen. It’s good to soft and soft in places on the hurdles course and soft for the chases. We have the odd light shower in the forecast but nothing worse than that.”

Fontwell has taken around 130mm of rain since they last raced on December 10 but clerk of the course Philip Hide is confident there will be no problems with their fixture.

Fontwell: another track due to race on ThursdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

He said: “We are all good, it’s heavy on the chase track and soft, heavy in places on the hurdle course. Both courses have taken all the rain we have had remarkably well and, though there are a few patches of light rain in the forecast, there are no problems as we stand.”

Sedgefield’s Michael Naughton is confident the course can take the forecast rain that may come before Thursday’s meeting and said: “We are soft and good to soft in places on both tracks and we don’t think there will be any problems as long as the forecast of light showers proves correct.”

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