'Minor miracle' at Haydock as track passes inspection despite 93mm of rain

Officials at Haydock have described a "minor miracle" after the track passed a morning inspection for its high-class Saturday meeting despite 93mm of rain falling over the last three days.

The biggest threat to the seven-race card, which features four Grade 2s, now appears to be frost and another inspection has been called for 8am on the morning of racing to assess conditions, although clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright is optimistic.

He said: "We've had 93mm of rain in the last three days but when you walk the track today we are fit to race so it does appear to be a minor miracle.

"We've got a bit more rain to come and there is a frost on Friday night so we're going to put a precautionary inspection in for Saturday morning just to cover ourselves, but we're through the worst of the weather and we can be optimistic about racing.

"Walking around yesterday afternoon there was standing water but there is no evidence of that today."

Racing goes ahead at Ludlow and Wincanton on Thursday after both tracks passed morning inspections despite the effects of Storm Christoph threatening to derail several fixtures across Britain.

A total of 35mm of rain has fallen at Ludlow in the past 24 hours but officials deemed the course fit to race with the going described as heavy, soft in places.

Ludlow: racing goes ahead despite 35mm of rain falling in the last 24 hoursCredit: Edward Whitaker

Wincanton also passed a morning inspection and the ground is heavy after overnight rainfall. There is standing water in places meaning one obstacle on the back straight will be bypassed for all races.

However, doubts remain for several other fixtures over the coming days with Ffos Las already cancelling their Friday meeting following an early inspection on Thursday morning.

The ground at the Welsh course was waterlogged in places after heavy rainfall with a threat of further showers offering no hope of improvement.

Racing is scheduled to take place at Musselburgh on Friday but the track must pass an 8am inspection on raceday due to a light covering of snow currently on the track and a risk of frost on Thursday night.

Hereford's fixture for Sunday is also under threat with the ground waterlogged and the track unraceable after 33mm of rain fell over the past 48 hours. The current forecast is not favourable and officials would need to see considerable improvement in the next 24 hours for racing to go ahead. An 8am inspection on Friday morning has been scheduled.

Ascot has updated its going to soft, heavy in places (from soft) for Saturday's Clarence House Chase card after 10mm of rain fell on Wednesday and a frost is forecast for Friday.

Weather prospects for the week's action in Britain

Thursday

Lingfield (AW)
Standard

Ludlow
Heavy, soft in places, inspection passed at 7.30am

Newcastle (AW)
Standard to slow

Wincanton
Heavy, inspection passed at 8.00am

Friday

Chelmsford (AW)
Standard

Ffos Las

Cancelled due to waterlogging

Lingfield (AW)

Standard

Musselburgh
Soft, inspection 8am Friday

Saturday

Ascot
Soft, heavy in places

Haydock
Heavy, inspection 8am Saturday

Newcastle (AW)
Standard to slow

Taunton
Soft

Sunday

Hereford
Heavy, waterlogged in places, inspection 8am Friday

Lingfield (AW)
Standard

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