Reprieve for Exeter as fixture lost to Storm Ciara is rearranged for Sunday

Leading trainers in the West Country have breathed a collective sigh of relief after last Sunday's cancelled Exeter meeting, blown away by Storm Ciara, was rescheduled for this Sunday.

Paul Nicholls led calls to rearrange the seven-race fixture which features a host of contests viewed as stepping stones to next month's Cheltenham Festival.

Philip Hobbs threw his weight behind the salvaging operation and Colin Tizzard will also be happy with the BHA's response, having planned to run the likes of Marsh Novices' Chase hope Reserve Tank and Supreme Novices' Hurdle contender Master Debonair on the original card.

BHA racing operations manager Stuart Middleton said: "Having lost Sunday's fixture due to bad weather, the usual process was followed to assess whether suitable opportunities were available in the race programme for the horses which were declared to run.

"Given the time of year and the specific opportunities that were due to take place yesterday, we felt that on balance the most suitable option was to put on an additional fixture which mirrored the races that were lost."

Exeter is set to accompany British fixtures at Market Rasen and Kempton, as well as Navan in Ireland, on Sunday.

Tom Byrne, operations manager at the Levy Board, said: "It's unusual for the Levy Board to fund a third fixture on a Sunday in February, but we are pleased to be providing a substantial sum in prize-money to support the rescheduling of this fixture."

The Exeter race programme will mirror that of the lost fixture. All horses declared to run in the original races will be required to enter and declare again. Entries close at midday on Tuesday, with declarations required by Friday at 10am.

Elsewhere, the effects of Storm Ciara are still being felt with Ayr joining Lingfield in cancelling for Tuesday due to waterlogging, while officials at Newcastle are concerned about the threat of high winds for the evening's all-weather card.

Clerk of the course James Armstrong said: "Depending on which weather forecast you look at, the worst case scenario are 50mph winds which would pose a problem.

"If, as seems likely, they are headwinds it is not a such a problem as if they were blowing across the track it's more serious. It's a health and safety issue at the end of the day and we may well have to make a late call when we've assessed conditions on Tuesday afternoon."

Fairyhouse officials have cancelled Wednesday's fixture as the track is unfit for racing following rain and heavy snow showers, with the threat of even more to come. Wetherby's meeting on the same day has also been cancelled with parts of the back straight under water.

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