Welsh Champion Hurdle fear

The chances of Ffos Las staging the Welsh Champion Hurdle meeting on Saturday are 50-50 after two inches of snow fell at the south Wales course overnight.

With temperatures unlikely to rise above freezing over the next few days, clerk of the course Tim Long admitted that the prospects of staging the prestigious card, which includes the transferred Grade One Tolworth Hurdle, were diminishing.

"Yesterday we were quite buoyant that racing would go ahead, but we've had a light dusting of snow overnight, between two and three inches, and while there is no more snow forecast, it is the temperature which is our worst enemy," said Long. "We are going to take a view tomorrow morning."

Today's all-weather card at Lingfield was called off this morning. Four inches of snow fell overnight with access routes treacherous and tomorrow's mixed card is also in doubt with a 6.30am inspection planned. Southwell report no problems and tomorrow's scheduled all-weather card is set to go ahead as planned.

Saturday's meeting at Wincanton and Sunday's card at Hereford have been abandoned, and the outlook seems bleak for early next week.