Horse Racing: Ascot’s two day meeting in doubt
Ascot’s two day meeting that was going to start on Friday and end on Saturday is in serious doubt, according to the officials of the racecourse. The clerk of the racecourse, Chris Stickels says that there is a 50-50 chance that the Saturday meeting will
be taking place. Sports and weather analysts are expecting this fixture to also fall for the big freeze.
The meeting, if takes place, will be featuring the Ladbroke Hurdle and the BGC Long Walk Hurdle. It was going to begin on Friday, but the Met Office has forecasted very low temperatures along with snow at the end of the week. It has been revealed that the
temperature will go as low as -5C on Friday night and as for Saturday; it will not rise above the freezing point.
When the clerk of the course was approached by the correspondents, he said,
“The temperatures are due to drop on Thursday night – there is nothing to worry about until Friday morning.”
He also went on to say, “We are forecast sleet and now showers late Thursday into Friday and further snow showers on Saturday. Friday night could be -5C and might not het above 0C on Saturday. Based on current forecast, I’d be 50-50 about things going
ahead.”
Stickels was also reported as saying that he is comparatively positive about the prospects of the Friday card and that they have the covers down, meanwhile he said that he doubts that the course would be fit to host a meeting on Saturday after the prior
nights freezing conditions.
On the other hand, the Haydock racecourse is free of snow for the first time since the big freeze began at the end of November. The clerk of the course, Kirkland Tellwright was reported as saying,
“We’ve now been able to put the frost covers down. The going is soft, good to soft in places.”
He further added that according to the Met Office, the temperatures will start to drop from Thursday and into the weekend.
Talking about Kempton, the situation seems very promising after the clerk of the course Brian Clifford studied the weather forecast. The meeting is particularly anticipated as the champion colt Kauto Star will be going ahead to claim victory in the King
George VI Chase that is scheduled to take place on the 26th of December.
Talking to the correspondents, he said that the officials have started to take off the frost covers since the temperature might go as low as -7C.
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