Lingfield call morning check ahead of Sunday jumps action

PA Sport Reporters
January 21, 2023 4:55 pm

Final day of the Winter Million meeting hinges on 8am inspection.

Sunday’s meeting at Lingfield will need to pass a precautionary inspection at 8am on raceday if it is to go ahead.

The feature event of a planned nine-race fixture is the GBP 165,000 Fleur De Lys Chase, with two other hurdles events worth GBP 110,000 and GBP 100,000 also on the card, which is the culmination of the Winter Million weekend.

The first of three days of action was claimed by the weather on Friday but Saturday’s all-weather card went ahead as planned.

While clerk of the course George Hill reported the track to be fit for action on Saturday afternoon, another chilly night is forecast and he admits some luck is required with the course covered overnight.

Lingfield raced on the all-weather track on Saturday (Steven Paston/PA)

He told Sky Sports Racing: “We have passed our 4pm inspection, we’re happy with conditions at the moment and we have now got a precautionary inspection for 8am.

“We’ve had a big team on track today. We’ve had a massive group effort with teams from Fontwell, Brighton, Uttoxeter, Windsor, Chepstow, head office – we had about 45-50 people on track, running our all-weather meeting too.

“It’s been pretty busy and hectic on site. Everyone has worked extremely hard and we’re trying out best. We’ve had a great day today and we’re excited for tomorrow.

“We need the better end of the forecast for tonight. It is going to be a cold night, we’ve done our best and covered up (the track), it’s been a big effort and we need the lower end of the forecast to be OK tomorrow morning.

“We will know by 8am what the weather has done, what the forecast is going to do and where we go from there.”

Should Lingfield get the go-ahead, it will break a barren spell for British National Hunt racing, with Hereford the last track to stage turf action on Monday.

Ffos Las has a jumps meeting on Monday (David Davies/PA)

Saturday’s meetings at Ascot, Haydock and Taunton were all called off due to frozen tracks, while Sunday’s other jumps fixture at Fakenham was also cancelled.

Ffos Las is due to race on Monday, with no issues reported at present, but Tuesday’s card at Exeter is subject to a 4pm inspection on Monday.

Leicester and Market Rasen are also scheduled to race over jumps on Tuesday, with both courses currently frozen.