Doubts about Tipperary

FAIRYHOUSE report no problems for today's meeting and no inspection is planned. However, prospects for tomorrow's meeting at Tipperary look bleak. The course there was reported to be unraceable yesterday and an inspection is planned before declaration time this morning.

Hopes are high that normal service can be resumed for racing in Britain. Each of the three tracks scheduled to race appear to have missed the worst of the weather which made yesterday's Wetherby card the first casualty of the jumps season.

No problems are expected at Haydock, which sees the reappearance of last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup third Couldn't Be Better in the Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase.

"There is sleet about and it is thoroughly unpleasant but we have had no snow and no frost," said clerk of the course Philip Arkwnht.

It is similar story at Hereford, where clerk of the course John Williams said: "We had a bare covering of snow but it went in 10 minutes. There should be no problems in the slightest."

And at Kempton a course spokesman explained: "We had quite a bit of snow but nothing settled because it was raining too. No inspection is planned."

But trainer Charlie Brooks is taking no chances over a prep race for his leading Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup hope Suny Bay, whom he has declared for both the Limber Hill Chase at Kempton and the Edward Hanmer at Haydock.

A spokeswoman for the Lambourn trainer explained: "The first preference for Suny Bay is Kempton. But just in case Kempton is off, and we have had a lot of snow here, his second preference is at Haydock.

Sedgefield, Warwick and Wincanton all expect to beat the weather tomorrow.

Wetherby was called off due to heavy snow just before the scheduled time for the opening race, northern jockeys' safety officer Mark Dwyer saying: "The abandonment was a formality. There is no way racing could take place."

Torrential rain threatened the all-weather Flat meeting at Lingfield but the card was finally given go-ahead after a 15-minute delay to the first race.