raceable

Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course at Sandown - due to stage the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase - yesterday described the track as raceable before adding: "The rain on Friday will be of concern."

He said yesterday: "We are raceable, only just raceable, but raceable nonetheless, so we have to look again in the morning.

While the course is not yet raceable, the weather is at last drying up and clerk of the course Keith Ottesen is confident the rescheduled meeting will go ahead.

The Prestbury Park venue is raceable at the moment but an adverse forecast for heavy rain on already soft going has led officials to plan a precautionary check.

Clerk of the course James Armstrong reports most of the track to be raceable, but there is waterlogging in places.

Ayr's meeting today, however, looks set to defeat the elements as the track was raceable yesterday.

"As we speak (12.30pm) we are frost free and raceable and temperatures are forecast to be fairly similar tonight."

Although the surface at both venues is raceable, the meetings had to be called off due to a shortage of ambulances.

Although the Newton-le-Willows venue iscurrently raceable and clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright is cautiously optimstic that they will be able to race.

"Obviously we need to look at it at eight in the morning to see if it's going to be raceable or not.

Extensive track work, which commenced at around 7.30pm, failed to put the Perry Barr surface into a raceable condition and the crowd were therefore left disappointed with no action.