OFFICIALS AT Cheltenham will hold an 8am precautionary inspection ahead of today's card because of the threat of severe frost. Temperatures could drop as low as minus four overnight and clerk of the course Simon Claisse is particularly concerned about the prospect of frost on the cross-country course.

"We are going to have a look at 8am as temperatures at dawn could be as low as minus four, rising to three or four degrees by the start of racing," said Claisse.

"That wouldn't cause us a concern for the new course where the chases and hurdles will be held as it's either covered or is fresh ground, but we have only covered limited parts of the cross-country track.

"That would be our main concern provided the weather we have overnight is no worse than forecast. We would have been raceable on all courses today and yesterday and we actually had a minus five on Wednesday morning but we were okay.

"This is going to be our third consecutive night of frost, though, and it is a severe one."

With the cross-country course seemingly in the most danger, officials are already making contingency plans to move the race to Saturday's high-profile card.

"Should the cross-country course prove to be unraceable, we will hold a six-race card on Friday starting at 12.45pm and reschedule the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase to Saturday at 11.45am as part of an eight-race card," Claisse continued.

"Given the forecast temperatures overnight on Friday, there should be no frost issues at all for racing on Saturday."

If the course gets the green lightParsons Legacy can supplement a recent stylish course success with victory in the Boylepoker.com Chase.

Although the Listed heat looks extremely challenging - Star De Mohaison, Comply Or Die and Character Building are among the big names - Philip Hobbs's charge is clearly in rude health.

While he is not getting any younger, the 10-year-old clinically put to bed the challenge of Joe Lively over an extended three miles here in October.

Hobbs's stayer again looks to have conditions in his favour and has been found another good opportunity with which to advertise his Grand National credentials.

L'Ami shaped with plenty of credit on his cross-country debut last month and can give Enda Bolger yet another triumph over Cheltenham's unique course in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.

The nine-year-old is a seriously high-class individual on his day, as illustrated by his fourth-place finish in the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and was not given a hard race when finishing a close-up fourth at this track last time. With that experience under his belt, an improved showing looks guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Arthur Moore is on a fact-finding mission in tomorrow's Boylesports.com Gold Cup with Notable D'Estruval and is keeping his fingers crossed he can bounce back from a below-par display at Cork last month.

"He was disappointing over hurdles the last day but he seems fine at home so we thought we would let him take his chance," said the Co Kildare handler.

"Davy Russell rides him, which is a plus, but we are really just wanting to find out if the horse is up to this class and then we can try to make a plan for the rest of the season.

"The favourite (Imperial Commander) is obviously going to be tough to beat as well so we will just have to see."

Notable D'Estruval is one of two Irish raiders along with the Tom Taaffe-trained Finger Onthe Pulse, the mount of champion jockey Tony McCoy.