Clerk waits for weather to decide

Officials at Musselburgh are to hold a precautionary inspection at 6.45 a.m. to decide whether today's meeting can go ahead.

Hopes are high that racing will take place at the Scottish track but a varying weather forecast has caused clerk of the course Bill Farnsworth to voice caution.

"Originally the weathermen predicted a front to arrive bringing rain before forecasting clear periods tomorrow afternoon," he said. "However, that prediction has materialised 12 hours earlier and we now expect it to stop raining about midnight so the temperatures could get down to zero by morning.

"If that happens we should be all right but if it dips below zero then we might have problems."

Meanwhile, Haydock's clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright reports all is well at the Merseyside track ahead of today's meeting. Taunton are also confident there will be no problems. If the forecast wintry weather hits Carlisle today then the track may have problems for tomorrow's meeting.