NH 2010-2011: Weather Watch

Yes, Steve, it came up when chatting with Lingfield's MD about their lost meetings. I said I supposed they could claim off their insurance but he said no, not for regular meetings as the premium would be eeenormous, but that all courses did insure selected meetings. Donny insures for the loss of the St Leger, for example, but not any others. But that's the reason why the endless inspections go on for key meetings - it's not that the Clerk is a ditherer, because he'd do it right away when he's sure himself that it would be a no-go (and save the furious abuse from disappointed trainers), but that he has to make two or three inspections to ensure the course has complied with 'all possible measures' for the insurer.
 
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Kempton to inspect either this afternoon or tomorrow.
Clifford: “Going forward, there are forecasts of minus 3C, minus 4C and minus 5C.
…I'm afraid it's one step backwards rather than two forwards”.
 
krizon said:
Yes, Steve, it came up when chatting with Lingfield's MD about their lost meetings. I said I supposed they could claim off their insurance but he said no, not for regular meetings as the premium would be eeenormous, but that all courses did insure selected meetings. Donny insures for the loss of the St Leger, for example, but not any others. But that's the reason why the endless inspections go on for key meetings - it's not that the Clerk is a ditherer, because he'd do it right away when he's sure himself that it would be a no-go (and save the furious abuse from disappointed trainers), but that he has to make two or three inspections to ensure the course has complied with 'all possible measures' for the insurer.
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Cheers Kri... top insight.

...maybe the glass is half empty after all :(
 
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SteveM said:
Kempton to inspect either this afternoon or tomorrow.
Clifford: “Going forward, there are forecasts of minus 3C, minus 4C and minus 5C.
…I'm afraid it's one step backwards rather than two forwards”.
Click to expand...

Midday inspection called for tomorrow re Boxing day.
 
Weather Update...

It now seems as though WOLVERHAMPTON will have to pass a 6.30am inspection on Sunday while FONTWELL are sounding more cautious though there seems a difference of opinion between the racecourse manager and the clerk of the course.

Some very low night time and daytime temperatures are forecast though FONTWELL is in as good a place as any to survive.
 
:( ...don't say that! If the pubs aren't open I can't see the point of having the day off.

...by the way, looking good lately Pricewise!!
 
Stodge - I can only imagine the 'difference of opinion' between manager Phil Bell and Ed the Clerk Arkell at Fontwell...

Phil: "Listen, Ed, I don't fahkin' give a sh1t about the back straight! I can't afford to lose all this hospitality! Do you have any idea how much this bloody stand cost? Do you? DO you? Do you know how many I've got to get through this fahkin' gate for the next fahkin' 70 years before half of it's paid for? No, you fahkin' don't! So get out there and call it Good to Soft!"
 
'South Today' (BBC in the sarf of England) showed Phil standing against a backdrop of 65 workers putting down anti-frost sheets over the entire course this afternoon. He's already lost one meeting where the new, enormous hospitality facility and bar will have lost tens of thousands of quid in income, and another monster pre-Christmas loss will do huge damage to the course - since it's around £25-30,000 to hire the full cover, workers and equipment, you can see how hard they're trying to save the event.
 
What do we reckon then? Very cold this morning – all of that thawing slush has frozen back to ice. But the sun is out at last. Inspection midday.
 
Its laughable really.Wetherby say unless we see a 'signficant' rise in temperature. What do they expect,a balmy +10 or something!!!! Forecast is cold,cold and more cold!!!! The best they can hope for is maybe +1/2 which will be no good whatsoever.Why do these people persist!!
 
Kempton still aren't looking too clever for Monday either, according to the forecast. They'll need the temperature to rise so sharply that it is above freezing by 7am Monday morning from a forecast low of -5C Sunday. With such an early start they'll still need a miracle IMO.
 
I could have called Kempton off on Wednesday by looking at the TV.

Agree with SL, be amazed if it goes ahead.
 
Christmas Cheer..

According to the RP, Clifford is calling it 70-30 to go ahead on Monday. Well, he knows his track so I can only defer to his judgement.

There'll be another hard frost tonight but tomorrow could just be frost-free though it's on a knife-edge.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Rtavn5417.png

The projected temperature chart for Monday at noon shows +1/+2 in the London area so it still looks finely-balanced to me. IF the milder air is held up by even a few hours, Kempton will be struggling.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Rtavn7817.png

These are the values for Tuesday - I just wonder if a further 24-hour delay is an option IF it doesn't thaw in time for Monday.
 
Cheltenham said the other week that the ground under the covers was raceable, even though the ground around it was solid and -fair play to Simon Claisse for once - he was right, so maybe Kempton does stand a chance. Fingers crossed.
 
Fontwell..

Fontwell to look again tomorrow morning at 8am. Hard to know if that reflects genuine confidence or whether the racecourse manager is determined to give it every chance despite another very cold night forecast.
 
Had a little punt on Kempton being abandoned at 5/2.If racing doesn't go ahead the family are in for a good afternoon.
 
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