Haydock hoping Saturday card can beat the freeze

Officials at Haydock have not yet given up hope Saturday’s high-profile fixture will beat the cold snap, with the track deemed raceable on Friday ahead of a planned precautionary inspection at 8am on raceday.

Ascot’s Clarence House Chase card was called off on Thursday and Haydock’s meeting looked to be heading the same way after snow fell on frozen ground on Wednesday night.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright admitted things were “not looking as good as they were” and announced an inspection for noon on Friday.

However, with the snow having cleared, Tellwright was in a more optimistic mood on Friday morning, and therefore cancelled Friday’s inspection and instead called a precautionary check for Saturday.

The Merseyside venue is due to stage four Grade Two events, including The New One Unibet Hurdle and Peter Marsh Chase.

Tellwright said: “We’ve had a good night and we’re in a better place than we expected to be, but in the context of the forecast we’ve put a precautionary in for tomorrow morning.

“The snow on the track has gone and we’re fit to race this morning, so it entirely hinges on the scale of any frost tonight.

“We’re forecast temperatures of between just below zero and minus 2C, which is the difference between success and failure.”

If Haydock does get the green light, it will be the sole jumps meeting in Britain on Saturday after Taunton’s fixture was abandoned on Friday afternoon.

A precautionary check was initially called for 8am on raceday, but deteriorating conditions prompted a change of plans and the inspection was brought forward to 4pm on Friday.

However, with the course still unraceable and no prospect of sufficient improvement, the fixture was called off shortly after 3pm.

Sunday’s meeting at Fakenham has also been called off due to a frozen track following a 2pm inspection on Friday. Officials were due to check the course on Saturday but brought forward that look as conditions were not improving.