Thomson frustrated again in National bid as cold snap disrupts racing fixtures

Sandy Thomson is hoping for a helping hand from the British Horseracing Authority as he bids to get Seeyouatmidnight qualified for the Randox Health Grand National.

The ten-year-old is a general 33-1 shot for the Aintree spectacular, but is currently not eligible having not run over fences this season. His return from injury has been delayed by the weather on several occasions in the last few weeks, with intended comeback races at Kelso, Doncaster and at Carlisle yesterday all abandoned.

“It’s a complete nightmare,” said the Berwickshire-based trainer. “The Premier Chase at Kelso was called off twice, there was the veterans’ chase at Doncaster and now Carlisle is off, so that’s four races we’ve missed. I’m hopeful the BHA are going to put something on this Thursday. We’ve had a few meetings abandoned in the north now and they need to run a qualifier for the veterans’ final at Sandown.”

If a fixture is not scheduled in the north for midweek, Thomson may have to send his stable star south next weekend.

He added: “If they have a meeting on Thursday that would be the best case scenario. Otherwise we might have to go for the two-and-a-half-mile 0-150 handicap chase at Newbury next Saturday or the veterans’ chase at Ascot next Sunday. We need a race and if we have to go south we will.”

There will be no National Hunt racing in Britain until tomorrow at the earliest after the weekend cold snap caused havoc with the fixture list.

Along with Carlisle, the meeting at Ffos Las yesterday was also abandoned because of snow, while today’s cards at Kelso and at Southwell went the same way.

Any chance of domestic jumps racing tomorrow is solely dependant upon an improvement in conditions at Wetherby. The going at the Yorkshire circuit is heavy, waterlogged in places, after 57 millimetres of rain between 5-13 March.

Exeter’s meeting tomorrow has already been abandoned.

Today’s only surviving domestic fixture is at Lingfield. There are “currently no problems” ahead of the sevenrace Flat card on the all-weather track.