Saturday’s Haydock card hinges on Thursday inspection

PA Sport Reporters
January 20, 2021 9:38 am

Track calls early check following heavy rain.

Haydock’s classy card on Saturday is already under severe threat with an inspection called for 8am on Thursday.

The Merseyside venue, which is due to host four Grade Two contests including The New One Unibet Hurdle and the Peter Marsh Chase, has been in the “eye” of Storm Christoph, according to clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright.

Conditions at the track are reported to be heavy, waterlogged in places following 18 millimetres of rain on Monday and a further 22mm on Tuesday, with another deluge forecast for Wednesday.

Temperatures are then set to drop markedly on Friday evening with a frost forecast.

Tellwright said: “We’ve called an early inspection, before declarations, and we’ll take it from there.

“We’ve had two very wet days and we’ve got another one coming.

“We seem to have hit the eye of the storm, having had two very wet days and another to come. If that’s not enough, we’re then expecting a frost on Saturday morning yet it is extraordinary how mild it is today.”

Friday’s meeting at Ffos Las hinges on a 3pm inspection on Wednesday.

The going at the Welsh venue is currently described as heavy, with standing water in places following substantial rain on Tuesday.

The track tweeted: “Following heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours, there will be a course inspection at 3pm today to assess prospects for Friday’s race meeting.”

Wednesday’s card at Chepstow goes ahead as planned after the track passed a precautionary inspection.

Officials checked conditions at 7.30am and while the ground is heavy, the course is fit for action. Two fences will be bypassed in the chase events though.