- This topic has 14 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 5 months ago by
.
- Posts
The following press release has come from Cheltenham.
[i:2dq211dz]
Cheltenham Racecourse is due to stage Festival Trials Day this Saturday, January 26 and, as a result of the hard work of the groundstaff in removing snow lying on the frost covers today, there is increased hope that the meeting can go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.However, a further one to two centimetres of snow is forecast to fall tonight (Tuesday) and, in the event that the course is unraceable, Cheltenham has reached agreement with the British Horseracing Authority that, weather permitting, Festival Trials Day could instead be staged 24 hours later on Sunday, January 27.
Cheltenham is continuing to liaise with Channel 4 as to the possibility of Festival Trials Day being broadcast on the channel on Sunday, should the eight-race card be moved to that date.
A further update will be issued tomorrow.
Festival Trials Day is the final fixture at Cheltenham before The Festival which this year takes place from Tuesday, March 12 to Friday, March 15 inclusive.
The card includes the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase, which was transferred to Cheltenham following the abandonment of Ascot’s fixture on January 19.
[/color:2dq211dz][/i:2dq211dz]Good to see something proactive happening.
Interesting that Cheltenham are looking in to transferring Saturday’s glittering trials day meeting to Sunday if the return of snow scuppers the attempts to move the present snow off the ground covers.
Ironic that the ground itself is supposedly raceable underneath. Just the little matter of the piles of snow on top of the covers.
There is talk that the entire meeting may be transferred to Sunday if the snow situation has not quite been resolved by Saturday, with Channel 4 being asked to cover the rescheduled meeting.
The reserve position, I am told on good authority, is to transfer the whole meeting to the all-weather flat track at Wolverhampton, as it is felt to be not too far from Cheltenham and the move would be unlikely to cause too much objection from anybody.
Scheduled Cheltenham race distances will, after transfer, be amended as necessary but sprint distances are being favoured for the key trials races.
Ricky Lake will, I am assured, be offered free entry. Negotiations are continuing with At The Races to see if some of the races can be accommodated in its Sunday schedule without too much disruption to the more important headlines updates and advertising breaks.
Any racing replays scheduled for that day, particularly of any surviving jumps meetings, would, unfortunately, have to be shortened further, I am told.
The most important aspect of it for me is whether Clare Balding will still qualify for her 10 grand per broadcast for C4
Hope this card goes ahead no matter what date
People of the South West – take your salt, take your shovels and shift this ******* snow !!!
The most important aspect of it for me is whether Clare Balding will still qualify for her 10 grand per broadcast for C4
Clare owes them a meeting for dipping out of the abandoned Ascot coverage last Saturday, Yeats.
She might again skip Saturday if Cheltenham is off that day and reappear if the meeting is rescheduled for Sunday.
But then of course there’s the little matter of her new Radio 2 show on Sunday morning, taking over from Aled Jones. Unless that is recorded in advance…
Her diary secretary must be starting to get worried.
Who needs Channel 4, let Racing UK broadcast the meeting free to air and show everyone how racing is supposed to be broadcast.
Still can’t believe C4 are letting Emma Spencer be their roving reporter, this could be a worse disaster than Rishi Persad.
They just might manage to race on Saturday with milder air set to roll in on that morning, though any lying snow may not shift in time for the afternoon; if not, Sunday looks fine with no frost forecast Saturday night and 5/6 C on the day
An excellent contingency plan, well done all
A good idea, no harm in having a Plan B.
I see Leopardstown are taking no chances and moving the Irish Arkle forward to Saturday, for fears the chase track may not be able for racing by Sunday.
Current scene
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBSOB1PCAAAFb14.jpgDoesn’t look too bad from that picture, to be honest.
With a bit of luck, no more snow and a superhuman effort in shifting the rest of the lying snow, it might yet be all right for Saturday.
aaah shucks Crusty , a mammoth 17 race card from Wolves starting at 11.30 am until 9.20 sounds ever so much fun
Mat Chapman is standing on full alert to host live interviews at the track ………John Hunt on commentary , with Sir Bob at the helm at hq …could life get any better ….probably not …..
17 cracking 0/50 classified races , wow …..who needs all the Cheltenham stuff …..when you can blow your mind on this wonderful feast of racing ……..
Happy days
IMO
Ricky
aaah shucks Crusty , a mammoth 17 race card from Wolves starting at 11.30 am until 9.20 sounds ever so much fun
Mat Chapman is standing on full alert to host live interviews at the track ………John Hunt on commentary , with Sir Bob at the helm at hq …could life get any better ….probably not …..Looks like you might be spared your all-expenses-paid trip to Wolverhampton, Ricky.
They seem to be making such good progress on slowly getting the Cheltenham track nearly raceable that the Sunday contingency plan looks at the moment that it might not be needed.
Hope that’s the case. Saturday’s meeting going ahead as planned would certainly be better for everyone.
Had a day off today so went for a walk round the outside of Cheltenham and what they are doing to get this meeting on is incredible.i will be very shocked if the meeting doesn’t go ahead
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.