Charlie Hall card in the balance at Wetherby

PA Sport Reporters
November 3, 2023 12:38 pm

Track lost Friday’s meeting and inspection called for Saturday.

Officials at Wetherby admit they are playing “a waiting game” after calling a 7am inspection ahead of the track’s most high-profile fixture of the season on Saturday.

Rain during the week has seen river levels rise markedly at the West Yorkshire venue, leading to pressure on the track’s drainage system and leaving standing water in places.

With the course unraceable, clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson was left with no option but to call off day one of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase fixture on Friday morning.

And while by Friday lunchtime Sanderson was able to report a small improvement in conditions, he appears more hopeful than confident that Saturday’s card – due to feature a clash between Bravemansgame and Ahoy Senor and the Charlie Hall itself – will get the go-ahead.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you what our chances are as it’s just a waiting and watching game – it’s like watching a pan of water trying to boil,” he said.

“As we stand at the minute the water on the track is still there. The dykes are receding moderately and it’s just a question of what comes first – the inspection and the time of the racing meeting or the clearing of the track.

“As it’s all elements of things out of my control off-site, I honestly couldn’t say whether our chances of racing are 50-50, 70-30 or 20-80.

“Today is a beautiful day, what a day it would have been to be racing on. It’s due to be a dry day and while there is rain forecast for tomorrow afternoon, what that will not do is suddenly raise our dykes in an hour, so the rain tomorrow is insignificant in terms of racing going ahead.

“We’ve got everything in our favour at the minute and it’s just a question of nature taking its course.”