Wincanton watering on hold as Nicholls ponders Frodon's weekend options

Wincanton clerk of the course Daniel Cooper had no plans on Monday to start watering before the West Country track's biggest meeting of the season on Saturday, but will continue to monitor the weather this week.

Cooper was forced to cancel Wincanton's first two meetings of the season due to a lack of rain but revealed the track does now have sufficient water in its reservoir to irrigate should it be needed before the Badger Beer Handicap Chase card.

However, with significant rain forecast before the weekend, including 10mm overnight into Tuesday, irrigation may not be necessary. The going was described as good to firm, good in places on the chase course and good, good to firm in places on the hurdles track on Monday.

A total of 18 entries have been made for the 61st running of the Badger Beers, with three-time Grade 1-winner Frodon heading the weights, although bidding for a repeat victory in Saturday's Ladbrokes Champion Steeplechase at Down Royal remains his first preference providing the ground in Northern Ireland is not too testing.

"Tonight we're forecast about 10mm and then Tuesday and Wednesday are both up to 7 or 8mm," said Cooper on Monday afternoon.

"It's quieter at the end of the week but raceday itself is looking quite wet, with 8 to 9mm forecast. Rain on a raceday could just make the going head to good quite quickly all round but we're not there yet.

"If the forecast is accurate, I'd think we'd be good on the hurdles course and good, good to firm in places on the chase course. That's where I'm imagining us being at race one.

"There's a potential of 18mm by Tuesday lunchtime and, on that basis, irrigation is not under way. We do now have water if we need to irrigate but there's no real justification just yet. We're reviewing it each morning."

Frodon: last year's Down Royal Champion Chase winner not certain to return to Northern IrelandCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is responsible for three of the 18 entries in the feature race, although, like Frodon, stablemate Broken Halo has an alternative Saturday entry in the Boylesports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree. Nicholls also has Enrilo entered in the Badger Beers.

"I'm just slightly concerned about the ground in Ireland at the moment for Frodon," said Nicholls on Monday. "I've made loads of entries all over this weekend and we'll make a plan later in the week when we see whether we get any rain. Enrilo would be the main one for the Badger Beer.

"There's plenty of rain about in Ireland and then in this country it's fast everywhere and we want it to rain. We're not going to make any definite decisions until later in the week but Frodon is now on a mark where you could run him in a handicap, and the Badger Beer is now an open handicap rather than a restricted handicap, so he's got an entry there just in case as back-up.

"There's a bit of hope that Down Royal will dry on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so I'm just covering all options."

The ground on the chase course at Down Royal was described as yielding to soft on Monday, with up to 22mm of rain forecast through to Wednesday, and the possibility of isolated showers thereafter, according to Horse Racing Ireland.

Nicholls has 16 entries in all on Wincanton's card, including McFabulous and Huelgoat in the Grade 2 Boodles Rising Stars Novices' Chase and Knappers Hill in the Grade 2 Unibet Elite Hurdle.

Cooper is also in charge at Exeter, which stages the prestigious Betway Haldon Gold Cup meeting on Friday, and he expects to see even more rain at the Devon course than at Wincanton.

He added: "Exeter is good, good to firm in places but Monday night into Tuesday there's a heavy storm coming in with 13mm forecast and I'd say we're going to be good by tomorrow morning, which is a nice position to be in.

"A further 6mm is forecast on Tuesday, 10mm on Wednesday and 6mm on Thursday. Based on the forecast we should be seeing good to soft places [by Friday]."

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