'The forecast looks challenging' - doubts over Ascot's Long Walk fixture

Ascot is braced for a "challenging week" ahead of its big pre-Christmas meeting as the track tries to beat the freezing temperatures which are set to cause more disruption to racing in Britain and Ireland through the week.

The second day of Cheltenham's December meeting, which was set to feature the Grade 2 International Hurdle, and Punchestown's John Durkan Chase fixture were among 11 cards to fall victim to the cold snap since Wednesday.

There will be no jump racing on Monday, with cards at Market Rasen and Plumpton cancelled, while all-weather fixtures at Lingfield and Wolverhampton must pass morning inspections at 7.30 and 10am respectively.

Inspections have been called for the week's fixtures at Catterick on Tuesday, Newbury on Wednesday and Exeter on Thursday, while Wincanton's card on Tuesday has already been cancelled. Ascot has also been hit by the cold snap, with the ground at the Berkshire track frozen in places.

Temperatures at Ascot are set to dip below freezing through the week ahead of a two-day meeting which gets under way on Friday, and which will feature the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle and the £150,000 Betfair Exchange Trophy on Saturday.

However, clerk of the course Chris Stickels is looking on the bright side and cautiously hoping the track will avoid the worst of the weather.

"The forecast looks pretty challenging," said Stickels. "It indicates that Monday and Tuesday nights will be less cold, but there will also be some severe frosts and sub-zero temperatures.

"It's a difficult one to call, but the track remains frozen in places. We went down to -4.5C on Saturday night, and it's barely been above freezing since – it was -1C at midday on Sunday."

Ascot clerk of the course Chris Stickels: 'It's a difficult one to call, but the track remains frozen in places'Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The home straight and all takeoffs and landings were covered before the freeze began last week, but more frost covers across the whole of the track could be applied if the weather allows, according to Stickels.

He added: "We didn't cover the whole track as there was snow forecast and if you get that on the covers, you just can't move them, so we had to be careful on how much of it was put down. When the snow didn't materialise we were already frozen in places.

"If we find the opportunity to get those frozen areas to thaw and put covers on the remainder of the track we will do, but we will just have to play it by ear."

The track's last fixture, which was due to feature Constitution Hill, L'Homme Presse and Edwardstone, was hit by non-runners and included a walkover due to quick ground, and conditions could be similarly fast should the Long Walk meeting go ahead.

Stickels added: "We were watering until last Wednesday before putting the covers down I've never watered in December before so it's a unique, very unusual situation.

"We'll do what we can to get it on, and hopefully the temperatures won't be as cold as the forecasters say and we'll get a bit of a thaw."

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