Christmas Racing - Weather

Bar the Bull

Bar the Bull

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
9,534
Location
Llandubno, West Wales (very west)
This is my favourite time of the year, after Michaelmas and Groundhog Day.

There is darts on the box. There are loads of football games, no work, lots of booze and most crucially dozens of good race meetings in the next 10-12 days.

Anyway, as you may have gathered from looking out the window, it is raining nearly everywhere in England and Wales and eastern Ireland at present, with no letup until tonight for most.

After the rain today, we can expect another very heavy spell of rain for most of England and Ireland all day Saturday, and another bout of heavy rain will affect us on Christmas Eve.

I am not sure about the impact on Ascot on Saturday, but I note the latest going report has "good" in it, so it may be able to survive.

But we can expect a few things over Christmas week:

Lots of meetings cancelled
Lots of races run in heavy going.
Lots of top class horses pulled out of the races due to their preference for decent ground.
 
Last edited:
That sounds about right. Below is the accumulated rainfall expectations for the next 144h. Around 27mm due in Dublin between now and St. Stephen's day. Over 50mm for London and the South East could mean a heavy ground King George.

144-777.GIF
 
With Exeter off today the Peterborough Chase has been transferred to Kempton Park on 27th December, to form a seven race card:
 
met.ie

TUESDAY (CHRISTMAS DAY): Current indications suggest it will be bright start to the day, with sunny spells and scattered showers and with early frost soon clearing. But more cloudy, wet weather, is set to move in off the Atlantic later.
Trend : Staying unsettled and cool for the following few days, with rain and hail showers at times and also some longer spells of heavy rain. Some frosts at night
Click to expand...

That'll sort your hangover out.
 
Diamond Geezer said:
With Exeter off today the Peterborough Chase has been transferred to Kempton Park on 27th December, to form a seven race card:
Click to expand...

Great day's racing in prospect, so. Off the top of my head:

Welsh National
Finale Juvenile Hurdle
Wayward Lad Chase
Peterborough Chase
2m Grade 2 Chase at Kempton
Dial-A-Bet Chase
2m Novice Hurdle Grade 1 at Leopardstown
Paddy Power Chase
Limerick handicap chase that Seabass won last year

This is why we need the rain to stop, lads.
 
Inspection here at Cheltenham on Sunday for New Year's Day ( Tuesday) meeting. Going currently heavy and 27mm rain forecast over weekend.
 
Dublin escaped very lightly this week and Leopardstown was able to provide a superb festival.
 
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