Storm Dennis a threat to Saturday ITV action with Ascot and Haydock to inspect

Storm Dennis threatens to decimate Saturday's racing schedule, with Ascot, Haydock, Wincanton and Lingfield calling inspections due to the strong winds forecast.

All four tracks will inspect early on Saturday morning but no inspections are currently planned at Gowran Park and Newcastle.

The latest threat comes after a week of cancelled meetings in the wake of Storm Ciara, with Sandown's fixture on Friday called off an hour before a scheduled 8am inspection due to a waterlogged track.

The card at the Esher course had been due to feature the Grade 2 Jane Seymour Mares' Novices' Hurdle (2.25) and the Castel Royal Artillery Gold Cup (3.00).

Cyrname is set to try and become the second back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday, providing the potential high winds in excess of 40mph from Storm Dennis do not scupper the meeting.

The seven-race card is not certain to get the green light with a precautionary inspection called at Ascot for 8am on Saturday morning due to the strong winds forecast. The wind is projected to be stronger from 11am on Saturday, so officials at the track will continue to monitor conditions even if the initial inspection is passed.

Cyrname: will be the star name at Ascot on Saturday if meeting survives Storm DennisCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Speaking on Thursday, before Saturday's 8am inspection was confirmed on Friday morning, Ascot's clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: “We will continue to monitor the situation with regards Storm Dennis as the wind could reach 44mph and that would pose a risk to the infrastructure for the paying public and on the racecourse itself, depending from which way it is blowing from.

“I'm not really concerned with the rain as we can take the 15mm which is forecast up to Saturday but the wind would be a problem."

Wincanton's Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle is scheduled to be shown on ITV alongside action at Ascot and Haydock, but there will be an inspection at the Somerset course at 8am on Saturday morning due to the strong winds forecast.

Haydock will inspect at 8am on Saturday morning because of the strong winds expected, although the forecast rainfall is not a cause for concern at the track.

Lingfield is inspecting before its afternoon all-weather card at the slightly later time of 8.30am on Saturday morning because of the expected strong winds.

There is also an inspection planned at Exeter at 6pm on Saturday evening in advance of the Devon track's Sunday meeting, which has been rearranged from last weekend after failing to survive Storm Ciara.

Oisin Murphy and Pierre-Charles Boudot are set to ride at Kempton's all-weather fixture on Sunday but their participation will depend on the outcome of the track's inspection at 9am on Sunday morning. Market Rasen's Sunday jumps card is also subject to a 7am inspection on the morning of raceday.

Bangor is holding an inspection at 2pm on Friday afternoon to determine whether Tuesday's jumps card can go ahead as planned. The track flooded on Sunday and although the water has receded, large areas of flooding still remain.

Fakenham has the only surviving jumps card on Friday, although it is supplemented by two meetings on the all-weather in Britain at Lingfield and Southwell. Dundalk stages an all-weather evening fixture in Ireland.

Today's racecards

Saturday's racecards

Racing prospects

Friday
Fakenham
Soft, good to soft in places
Lingfield
Standard
Dundalk
Standard
Southwell
Standard
Sandown
Abandoned

Saturday
Ascot
Soft, heavy in places (inspection 8am Saturday morning)
Haydock
Chase course: heavy (inspection 8am)
Hurdle course: heavy, soft in places
Wincanton
Chase course: soft, heavy in places (inspection 8am)
Hurdle course: soft
Gowran
Heavy
Lingfield
Standard (inspection 8.30am)
Newcastle
Standard

Sunday
Exeter
Soft, heavy in places (inspection 6pm Saturday)
Market Rasen
Soft, good to soft in places (inspection 7am Sunday)
Kempton
Standard to slow (inspection 9am Sunday)
Navan
Heavy

Monday
Carlisle
Heavy
Lingfield
Standard
Kempton
Standard

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