Fingers crossed Jack Frost p1sses off!

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Weather likely to threaten Doncaster and Wetherby by David Carr
THE Met Office warned on Friday that Saturday's high-profile jumps cards at Doncaster and Wetherby are likely to come under threat from a brief, icy cold snap. "They could get hit quite hard," said a spokeswoman, who predicted that temperatures will drop across Britain. "By day over Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England they will probably scarcely get above freezing and across southern England they will probably just about reach 4C. "On Friday night there will be a frost everywhere. Then on Saturday it stays the same- temperatures may be a degree or so higher but not an awful lot. “And we are looking at an area of snow moving down the eastern side of England during Friday." Doncaster is due to stage the first running of the £100,000 Williamhill.co.uk HandicapChase on Saturday and clerk of the course David Williams saiud: "So far, the forecast has been correct and the forecast for the weekend does not look very good - -4C to -5C overnight with +1 to +2 at midday, though I am not sure whether the snow is goingto get down as low as us. "We will cover the take-offs and landings and all the vulnerable areas - I have been touch with the man who covers Sandown and the frost sheets are not available. “We are going to do everything we can and hope that we don't get the sort of temperatures they are talking about." The frost sheets are set to be used to protect Saturday's card at Sandown, where clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said on Thursday: "We will make a decision tomorrow as to the extent of the cover we need - at the moment we are gearing up to do the whole thing. "The covers should cope with the level of frost that we are anticipating, but the snow risk gives us a nagging worry - if snow falls on the covers it makes them hard to shift. But we will be doing all we can to try to ensure that racing goes ahead." The chases have already been abandoned at Wetherby, where clerk of the course James Sanderson said on Thursday: "If we don't get snow tomorrow and it doesn't freeze below 2C I would be pretty optimistic - if we get snow tomorrow afternoon and then we have a frost of in excess of -2C then I would suggest that it is fairly doubtful. "We have got varying degrees of frost covers which we will deploy but putting covers down and then getting snow on top of them is actually worse than just having the snow because it makes the covers virtually impossible to manoeuvre and they serve to insulate the snow." Musselburgh is due to stage its biggest jumps meeting of the year on Sunday and clerk of the course Anthea Morshead said: "We have a horrible forecast but we are not expecting any snow this low and it is the frost that worries me more than anything. "They are saying it could get down to -3C on Friday night and only up to about +2C on Saturday.				“On Saturday night it should just be 0C, getting up to 5C on Sunday, so it all depends on whether the frost comes out of the ground on Saturday." Friday's meeting at Catterick hinged on an 8am inspection - the track was raceable on Thursday evening, but snow showers were possible overnight. Punchestown, which stages an eight-race card on Sunday featuring the Grade 2 Byrne Group plc Novice Hurdle and the same sponsors' Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase, on Thursday reported the ground as" heavy " on the hurdle and cross country tracks and " soft to heavy " on the chase course. Track spokesman Ritchie Galway said: "The ground here is testing but perfectly raceable and there are no concerns at this stage. “However, the forecast is very mixed. We could get more rain or even wintry showers or we might escape either, so we will just have to keep monitoring the situation." It was a similar story at Limerick, also scheduled to race on Sunday. Angus Houston, course manager, said: "We only had an extra millimetre of rain today after storms last night. The ground is heavy but raceable, but in view of the very mixed forecast we will just have to taken things day by day." Weather prospects Friday Catterick: Track raceable on Thursday and no frost forecast overnight but inspection called for 8am due to possible snow showers. Chepstow: Ground heavy, soft in places, after 11mm of rain but no frost expected and "need forecast to be well awry for us to have problems". Kempton: All-weather. Wolverhampton: All-weather. Saturday Doncaster: Problems expected if forecast is correct as heavy frost expected for tonight, with temperature rising only to +1C/+2C at lunchtime. Kempton: All-weather. Lingfield: All-weather. Sandown: Frost covers expected to see off threat from overnight drop to -3C but possibility of snow leaves "nagging worry". Wetherby: Chases already abandoned and prospects of racing rated just 50-50, with frost forecast and snow possible. Fairyhouse: No problems anticipated. Sunday Fontwell: Should be all right if forecast is correct as temperature not expected to get below freezing and track "could take a fair whack more rain". Kempton: All-weather. Musselburgh: "Hopeful", but sharp frost forecast tonight. Punchestown: No concerns as of Thursday afternoon Limerick: No concerns as of Thursday afternoon Monday Hexham: Had another 6mm of rain overnight and could not take much more. Lingfield: All-weather. Southwell: All-weather.

Desperately hoping to go to Wetherby as the last 2 trips to races i've planned somethign has happened. 1st time GF spent w/e in hospital.:cryand 2nd time it was abandoned! :hope for third time lucky

[TheRat]

Re: Fingers crossed Jack Frost p1sses off! If its any consilation its lovely here :lol