The heat is off and racing returns in England with five meetings taking place

There is a full programme in Britain on Wednesday after five meetings were cancelled earlier this week because of the record-breaking heatwave.

The afternoon action takes place at Lingfield, Southwell and Catterick, while the evening action features races from Sandown and Leicester.

Mick Appleby has ten runners across four of the five meetings on Wednesday.

"It'll be good to be back," the Rutland trainer said. "We've coped okay, all the staff have come in at 4.45am and we've had six lots out by 9am. We've fans in all the barns and have been giving the horses cold wash-offs so they're coping well, but it's a good job they cancelled the racing."

Mick Appleby: saddles ten runners on WednesdayCredit: Steve Davies

Asked for his best chances on a busy day, he added: "Eponina should have a very good chance at Leicester, she's in good order and we've our apprentice Fred [Larson] claiming 5lb. She should have a very good chance.

"He also rides Bondi Girl. She ran well there last time so they'd probably be the best two, although we also have Come On Girl running at Lingfield and she's always run well there. She's dropped to a reasonable mark now and should also run really well."

Sandown's six-race card is the pick of the action with £62,900 in prize-money, and the feature is the Rio Ferdinand Foundation Handicap (8.08) over 1m2f.

William Haggas's lightly raced Frantanck heads the overnight market on his handicap debut off a mark of 83, but he faces stiff opposition in the form of two last-time-out winners in Dal Mallart and Maytree Respite, while Charlie Appleby and William Buick team up with Cosmic Desert and David Evans runs Wind Your Neck In.

Alan King trains Dal Mallart, and said: "She'll probably run. I see Sandown's just gone good to firm, firm in places. I'll just sort of see how it is.

"Although she's bred to want top of the ground she does seem to enjoy a little bit of cut – there was a bit of ease in the ground last time which she handled extremely well.

"I'm not saying she wouldn't handle this ground. We'll see. She seems progressive. We probably won a little too far at Haydock and she went up 9lb for that so she's going to have to keep finding."

Tom Clover saddles early favourite Rogue Rocket in the preceding Hwfa Williams Handicap (7.38) over a mile, and said: "He ran well in three novices before winning nicely on his handicap debut. He's a nice horse and I don't think he handled Newmarket – both the Rowley Mile and the July course – that well, so once he got a more suitable track like he did at Salisbury he won nicely.

"I'm hoping this course will really suit and he loves fast summer ground so hopefully he can put on a bold show."

Wednesday's cards and betting

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