Hopes rise for Welsh Champion Hurdle

Jumping fans are clinging to the hope Saturday's meeting at Ffos Las can escape the clutches of the extreme wintry weather ravaging the United Kingdom.

The 50,000 SIS Live Welsh Champion Hurdle is the feature race at the Carmarthenshire track and the card has been boosted by the rescheduling of the Tolworth Hurdle from Sandown's abandoned programme last Saturday.

Ffos Las is pulling out all the stops to stage the fixture and clerk of the course Tim Long remains hopeful, despite snow falling yesterday.

"We had a couple of inches of snow this morning, it all came very quickly, but it is rapidly disappearing," he said.

"We've had a good thaw and it's got to three degrees this afternoon and there's a lot of sunshine.

"There could be another flurry of snow through tonight, but the forecast is for it stay round about the freezing mark day and night.

"If we get this total thaw, which it looks like we are, and we have 24-36 hours to have a good window to put sheets down to cover the whole course that's what we are going to do.

"We are giving ourselves a fair chance. Geographically, if anyone is going to be racing we've got the best chance and the forecast does give us a squeak."

While Ffos Las are fairly optimistic, the same cannot be said for the day's two other jumps fixtures at Sedgefield and Wincanton.

The latter are due to inspect at 2.0pm today and Sedgefield have booked one for noon because of snow and frost.

Widespread snow is also starting to affect all-weather meetings, with today's meetings at Lingfield and Kempton under threat.

Lingfield will hold a precautionary inspection at 6.30am. It had been thought the Surrey venue would miss the worst of the blizzards but a change in the forecast has put officials there on red alert.

Kempton's evening meeting is subject to an 8.0am precautionary inspection.

"We are perfectly raceable now but heavy snow is on the way. It's a question of if we can shift the snow off the track and then it needs to be safe in and around the course as well," said clerk of the course Barney Clifford.

Tomorrow's two jumps cards at Huntingdon and Ludlow had no chance of going ahead.

Bangor have announced a 2.0pm inspection today ahead of Friday's jumps fixture and hold out little hope.

Friday's Fontwell card is subject to an inspection and officials at Wolverhampton are concerned about their Friday programme.