RACING continues in the grip of the elements as the cold weather across Britain shows few signs of abating. With all bar two meetings lost to frost on St Stephen's Day, the situation was similar yesterday with only Musselburgh and Southwell (all-weather) able to stage their scheduled fixtures.
The meeting at Leicester and the Coral Welsh National card at Chepstow had been called off on Thursday and yesterday morning Kempton's Christmas Hurdle fixture and Wetherby's Castleford Chase meeting quickly followed suit.
Prospects for today are hardly any brighter, with the cards at Newbury, Huntingdon and Folkestone abandoned yesterday and Newcastle subject to an 8.0 a.m. inspection, leaving Wolverhampton's fibresand circuit as the only course without problems.
Newbury's Challow Hurdle meeting was first to fall yesterday because the ground was frozen. Newbury is also due to race on Monday and an inspection is planned for tomorrow.
Geoff Stickels had planned to inspect the course at Folkestone at noon yesterday but surrendered soon after 10.45 a.m, while Huntingon's card suffered the same fate four hours later.
No problems were reported for today's card at Newcastle until shortly before 3.30 p.m. yesterday, when a spokesman said: "We shall inspect at 8.00 tomorrow morning. We have had a good day today and we have lost about 50 per cent of the frost but we still have traces of snow."
In addition to Newbury's plans for an inspection for its Monday fixture, Carlisle's clerk of the course Johnnie Fenwicke-Clennell will look at the track at noon tomorrow.
If racing does get the green light then Nooran may cause a surprise in the Grainger Town Handicap Hurdle at Newcastle. The five-year-old shaped like a sure-fire future winner when fifth on his reappearance at Kelso where he burst into the lead at the second last flight only for lack of fitness to tell on the run-in.
He was unable to prove the point on the same course later last month, when a step up to two and three quarter miles seemed to find, him out and he weakened markedly in the straight.
But returned to two miles and dropped by the handicapper to a mark fully 10lb lower than his reappearance, Nooran is sure to go close.
Short-priced favourites, each bidding to complete a hat-trick, are difficult to oppose in the two chases on Newcastle's card.
Top-weight is unlikely to stop Easby Joker in the Gosforth Park Handicap Chase while Sparky Gayle is a highly promising recruit to fences who should land the odds in the Northumberland Novices' Chase.
More attractively priced may be Sea Victor, who should be good enough to follow up a recent Doncaster success in the opening Newcastle Novices' Hurdle.
Sis Garden looks the best bet at Wolverhampton in the second division of the Peregrine Handicap. The three-year-old has improved since joining John Cullinan and was a most emphatic winner over this course and distance last month.
. Bookmakers Ladbrokes report strong betting interest in the Tote Gold Cup market with Imperial Call backed from 9 to 2 to 4 to 1 favouritism and The Grey Monk 16 to 1 from 20 to 1.
Merry Gale remains a 25 to 1 chance for the Gold Cup with Hills after winning at Leopardstown yesterday.
