NH 2010-2011: Weather Watch

Better news re Kempton (as long as there is no more significant snow).

"The yellow pins that hold down the covers are 8cm high and at 5am you couldn't see them for the snow. Now you can see them up to their halfway point.

"The track itself is perfectly raceable and there's no reason why that should change between now and Boxing Day. We were down to -10.0C on Saturday night, but the track still isn't frozen. The ground is also starting to sweat, which is causing heat and helping the thaw."
 
Leopardstown's Boxing Day fixture has been postponed and rescheduled for Thursday, December 30.

Leopardstown is now due to race from December 27-30.
 
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Just hope that all the access to the tracks is OK because nowadays that seems to be more of a problem than the tracks.Personally I don't want to see some of these high class races with only 4-5 runners due to 'travel' problems.
 
Leopardstown Christmas Festival


Contingency Plans ​



Horse Racing Ireland has transferred Leopardstown’s St Stephen’s Day card, which was cancelled earlier today, to Thursday 30th December. Entries for this meeting will stand and declarations to run must be made by 10am on Wednesday 29th December.

RTE television coverage has been confirmed for Thursday 30th December.

Tom Burke, Leopardstown General Manager, stated: "there is currently 8 inches of snow on the track with a thaw predicted to start after Christmas Day. The situation in relation to the remainder of our Christmas Festival will therefore continue to be monitored and regular updates will be provided on www.leopardstown.com".

Horse Racing Ireland has drawn up contingency plans to preserve the best races should any further days of the Leopardstown Festival be cancelled.


Summary Of Contingency Plans:

Contingency Plan A (Should Monday 27th be cancelled)

Sunday 26th December – No Racing

Monday 27th December – No Racing

Tuesday 28th December – Original Card

Wednesday 29th December:

  • The paddypower.com Android App 5+ Maiden Hurdle – 2m - (from Monday 27th) The Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet S’chase (Grade 1) - 2m 1f (from Monday 27th) The paddypowerpoker.com Future Champions Novice H’dle (Gr 1) – 2m (from Monday 27th) The Paddy Power S’Chase H’cap (Grade B) – 3m (from Monday 27th) The Betting At paddypower.mobile H’cap Hurdle (0-140) – 3m (from Monday 27th) The Leopardstown Golf Centre Festival Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m (remains on Wednesday 29th)The ITBA Fillies Scheme E.B.F. Mares Hurdle (Listed) – 2m 4f (remains on Wednesday 29th)
  • The Future Champions (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race (Grade 2) – 2m (remains on Wednesday 29th)

Thursday 30th December – Original 26th December card


Contingency Plan B (Should Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th be cancelled)

Sunday 26th December – No Racing

Monday 27th December – No Racing

Tuesday 28th December – No Racing

Wednesday 29th December:

  • The paddypower.com Android App 5+ Maiden Hurdle – 2m - (from Monday 27th) The Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet S’chase (Grade 1) - 2m 1f (from Monday 27th) The paddypowerpoker.com Future Champions Novice H’dle (Gr 1) – 2m (from Monday 27th) The Paddy Power S’Chase H’cap (Grade B) – 3m (from Monday 27th) The Betting At paddypower.mobile H’cap Hurdle (0-140) – 3m (from Monday 27th) The Leopardstown Golf Centre Festival Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m (remains on Wednesday 29th) The ITBA Fillies Scheme E.B.F. Mares Hurdle (Listed) – 2m 4f (remains on Wednesday 29th)
  • The Future Champions (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race (Grade 2) – 2m (remains on Wednesday 29th)

Thursday 30th December:

  • The Bord na Mona Clean Water 4-y-o Maiden Hurdle - 2m (from Sunday 26th) The Bord na Mona Fire Magic Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) – 2m (from Sunday 26th)The Bord na Mona With Nature Novice S’chase (Grade 1) – 2m 1f (from Sunday 26th) The Bord na Mona Firepak H’cap S’chase – 2m 1f (from Sunday 26th) The Fort Leney Novice S’chase (Grade 1) – 3m (from Tuesday 28th) The woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle (Grade 2) – 3m (from Tuesday 28th) The Lexus S’chase (Grade 1) – 3m (from Tuesday 28th)
  • The Star Best For Racing H’cap Hurdle (0-140) – 2m (from Tuesday 28th)

Contingency Plan C (Should Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th be cancelled)

Sunday 26th December – No Racing

Monday 27th December – No Racing

Tuesday 28th December – No Racing

Wednesday 29th December – No Racing

Thursday 30th December:

  • The Bord na Mona With Nature Novice S’chase (Grade 1) – 2m 1f (from Sunday 26th)The Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet S’chase (Grade 1) - 2m 1f (from Monday 27th) The paddypowerpoker.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m (from Monday 27th) The Paddy Power S’Chase H’cap (Grade B) – 3m (from Monday 27th) The Fort Leney Novice S’chase (Grade 1) – 3m (from Tuesday 28th) The woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle (Grade 2) – 3m (from Tuesday 28th) The Lexus S’chase (Grade 1) – 3m (from Tuesday 28th)
  • The Leopardstown Golf Centre Festival Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m (from Wednesday 29th)
Entries for all races listed above will stand and declarations to run must be made by 10am on the day previous to the raceday.
 
Update...

To update the story so far, as I understand it, the only meetings currently still ON this Sunday are:

KEMPTON
FONTWELL
WOLVERHAMPTON
WETHERBY (inspecting 1.30pm today)

For Monday 27th, everything still stands but CHEPSTOW (noon) and WETHERBY (see above) are inspecting today and doubtless inspections will be called for LEOPARDSTOWN and LIMERICK.
 
Once Kempton is on I don't mind - it's the Irish racing days after the 26th that are the ones to keep. Those contingency plans look good, and show the people in charge (I don't know who) are on the ball. I wouldn't mind a Boxing Day without 12 meetings, and there being 3 races on at all times.

Is there any plans to reschedule Chepstow if needs be?
 
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Wetherby have precisely no chance of racing on either day, but have pissed plenty off by deciding to inspect at 1.30pm. It's currently frozen and temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing later today and stay that way until Sunday at least. Friday night's expected temp is -15C. What will an inspection achieve?
 
Boxing Day...

Hamm said:
Once Kempton is on I don't mind - it's the Irish racing days after the 26th that are the ones to keep. Those contingency plans look good, and show the people in charge (I don't know who) are on the ball. I wouldn't mind a Boxing Day without 12 meetings, and there being 3 races on at all times.

Is there any plans to reschedule Chepstow if needs be?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, for many of the other courses, such as Towcester, Boxing Day is their big day of the year and a meeting that brings in large numbers of paying (they charge on Boxing Day at Towcester) customers.

For courses and others, it's a big loss and it's disappointing to see the view which seems increasingly prevalent that Kempton and arguably Leopardstown are the only meetings that matter. There's much more to racing than Grade 1s in the Sunbury area.

As for Chepstow, I think they may need to consider a 48 or possibly 72 hour delay but that's all.
 
Fair enough, and can appreciate that would be difficult for them.

To clairfy, it's not that I don't think the other meetings don't matter, just that personally I am not that interested in the lower level racing, hence why it's all about Kempton and Leopardstown for me.

Surely though we could get to a point where these split screens are done away with, both on TV (red button) and bookies (use multiple screens)?
 
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Likely inspection tomorrow. The covers are bonded to the course just now. Need temperatures to rise.
 
Hamm said:
Fair enough, and can appreciate that would be difficult for them.

To clairfy, it's not that I don't think the other meetings don't matter, just that personally I am not that interested in the lower level racing, hence why it's all about Kempton and Leopardstown for me.

Surely though we could get to a point where these split screens are done away with, both on TV (red button) and bookies (use multiple screens)?
Click to expand...

Point taken and I think you're quite right. What I think we need is a split between the main channel which would emphasise one or two meetings and concentrate on proper analysis while an Xtra or Lite channel would show everything as in the betting shops.

In New Zealand, they have this on the Trackside channel where the main channel shows only New Zealand and the top Australian races while the second shows everything including the greyhound and harness races.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Good luck to them but 50/50 sounds very very optimistic to me.
Click to expand...

I think the likelihood of it going ahead on Boxing day is perhaps slightly in favour of it doing so and slightly better again for the following day. So I'd be quite optimistic of seeing the KG on either the 26 or 27.

However I'd like to see the daytime temperature getting up to about +4 or more which doesn't yet appear to be happening.
 
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Good point Rory :)

Only listened to this mornings radio reports Steve but they said they'd been unable to remove the covers as after something of a thaw the subsequent water had frozen to the covers which had then frozen to the turf due to a heavy frost.

+4 would probably seem them ok on the thaw front but then there's the problem of possible waterlogging.

Least they're giving it every chance though with the diggers out on the course yesterday.
 
Rory, I know that courses aren't insured against the loss of all races, as the premium would be monstrous, but many do insure against the loss of key meetings - for example, all the Classics, the Grand National, etc. and many of the 'nationals' which are the regional courses' big money spinners - in fact any key meeting where turn-out is extra high (and income lost is more keenly felt). What they have to keep doing up to the last 'saveable' minute is inspecting - not for the public, not for the horses, not for the trainers - but to satisfy the insurer that every possible attempt to not lose the meeting and then claim has been made.
 
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