Nicky Henderson: 'It's wet - but they might just slop through it actually'

Dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D'Air is set to line up at Haydock after Nicky Henderson expressed his satisfaction with the ground, pending a look at the opening race.

Groundstaff had faced a race against time to get the frost covers up before the 12.55. The course passed a morning inspection after the forecast frost failed to materialise, but snow then fell at the track.

"We're ready to go," said Henderson. "I've been out on the course and it's wet. Buveur D'Air's got to run and they might slop through it actually. We'll let them go round in the first and see, but I've every intention of running them all."

Speaking an hour before the first race, clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: "We're coming along just fine. We've got three furlongs of covers to take off the chase course and then we're done. We're only going to run on one bend at either end of the course."

While the ground underneath the covers has been described as raceable by officials, the task of taking the covers off the entire course had been increased, with the snow sitting on top of it.

There is some snow on the hurdles course where the covers have come off, although the weather conditions have improved significantly since it stopped snowing around 10am.

Speaking at around 9.30am, Tellwright said: "It should stop snowing shortly, which it needs to do as the frost covers are very heavy to move with snow on them. We should still just scrape through.

"The forecast is for sleety snow but we've had more snow and it has settled a bit, so it needs to stop doing that pretty soon. The ground is fit to race but there's a limit to how much snow we can take to then get the covers off.

"As things stand, we're going to get there but if it was to snow a lot, we'll be stuffed. The thing that would stop us at the moment is getting the covers off. The whole course is covered and it's taking a lot of man hours."

Sam Brown, who was a general 3-1 shot for the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase (2.40) at Haydock, was withdrawn by due to stiffness and the field was reduced to eight after Claud And Goldie was pulled out.

The track will stage four competitive Grade 2s, three of which will be shown live on ITV4, including The New One Unibet Hurdle (3.15).

Paddy Power market movers

Ascot
1.15 Roksana 8-15 (from 4-5)
1.50 Janika 5-1 (from 11-2)
3.00 Espoir De Guye 11-2 (from 13-2)
3.35 Fanion D'Estruval 8-1 (from 14)

Haydock
1.30 Llandinabo Lad 6-4 (from 7-4)
2.40 Royale Pageille 5-4 (from 9-4)
3.15 Buveur D'Air 8-15 (from 4-7)

Taunton
2.10 If The Cap Fits 9-4 (from 5-2)

Fanion D'Estruval has been backed into a general 8-1 (from as big as 14-1 earlier this week) to cause an upset in the Grade 1 Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase (3.35) at Ascot.

The six-year-old fell on his most recent start for Venetia Williams but has been forgiven by punters, while the favourite, Champion Chase winner Politologue, has marginally eased to 6-4 (from 11-8).

The going at Ascot was described as soft, heavy in places and it will be much more testing at Haydock, where the ground is heavy after the track survived its second inspection of the week this morning.

After passing a morning inspection, the ground at Taunton was soft, heavy in places. The track stages the Weatherbys Portman Cup Chase (2.10), one of eight races broadcast live on ITV4.

There was one casualty following a spate of morning inspections as Navan was forced to cancel its meeting due to frozen ground.

Weekend weather prospects

Saturday
Ascot Soft, heavy in places
Haydock Heavy
Navan Cancelled
Newcastle (AW) Standard to slow
Taunton Soft, heavy in places

Sunday
Hereford Heavy, inspection 3pm Saturday
Lingfield (AW) Standard
Thurles Soft, inspection 8am

Saturday cards

Read more:

Who will win the Clarence House Chase at Ascot? Our experts have their say

Brian Hughes keen to strike another blow for 'second-class citizens' at Ascot

Members' Club: 'He never gets enough credit' – Politologue still underrated says owner Hales

Harry Cobden called up for Politologue ride in Clarence House and Champion Chase

'He's so well he'd have hurt someone!' – Waiting Patiently set for Saturday epic

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