Prospects for Leicester not great

Mild weather in Britain yesterday may have come too late to rescue Leicester's meeting next Tuesday. Officials have called an inspection at the Oadby track for 3 p.m. tomorrow.

"Prospects are not great," admitted clerk of the course Nick Lees. "Parts of the course are waterlogged at the moment. There is not much surface water but if you walk on the course it is like jelly.

"We could get some showers on Saturday and Sunday, not heavy rain but we don't want any as it doesn't dry out very quickly at this time of year."

However, Plumpton, which stages Monday's only turf fixture, was able to offer a much more favourable bulletin after a day without rain and at present no inspection is planned.

"At the moment it would be difficult to race the last two furlongs but it's drying out nicely and we'll probably be all right if there's no more rain," said clerk of the course Geoff Stickels.

"Two dry days are forecast but I will be taking another look at the course tomorrow morning. If it's necessary we may call an inspection on Sunday."

Thirteen meetings - including today's turf fixtures at Haydock and Warwick - have succumbed to the wet conditions since Monday of last week.

But Sandown's high quality card today is almost certain to get the go ahead. Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said he was "very, very optimistic and verging on confident" that the televised meeting would take place.

The following horses are visored for the first time today: Lingfield - 3.35, Smuggler's Point. Wolverhampton - 7.30, Chika Shan; 9.00 Gold Of Arabia. The following horses are blinkered for the first time: Lingfield - 12.55, Desert War, Jester Minute; 3.05, All Our Blessings. Sandown - 1.00, Miss Ondee; 1.30, Falmouth Bay; 3.10, What A Hand, Sister Stephanie. Wolverhampton - 7.00, Krystal Davey, General Equation. Leopardstown - 2.25, Sharpical, All The Vowels.

Live television coverage of the prestigious Northumberland Plate was confirmed yesterday when Sky announced that it would be covering 10 race meetings from Newcastle this year. The satellite television channel stepped in after Channel 4 pulled its plug on coverage of the historic race popularly known as the Pitmen's Derby.