Heavy rain forces Cheltenham call off
CHELTENHAM’S New Year’s Day meeting has been abandoned because of waterlogging.
An inspection was due to take place at the course at 830am on Wednesday - but shortly beforehand, a Tweet from Cheltenham’s official account reported that the scheduled card will not take place.
It read: “New Year’s Day Racing abandoned. “Following 85mm of rainfall since last Wednesday, there are areas of waterlogged ground across the width of the course, and it is therefore not raceable.”
The seven-race card was due to feature the Grade Two Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle.
Saturday’s meeting at Hereford survived an initial inspection on Wednesday afternoon, with the course currently heavy but raceable.
It faces a second precautionary check at 1pm on New Year’s Day, however, because of a forecast for overnight frost on Thursday.
Ground conditions will be polar opposite at Exeter, where The Edgar Wallace seeks to restate his credentials after a slightly disappointing hurdles debut at Ascot.
He was not disgraced and faced some very useful opponents there, though - and if he learned some lessons, he should be hard to beat for Kim Bailey in the Happy New Year ‘National Hunt’ Maiden Hurdle on the basis of his very promising bumper form last spring.
William Haggas’ son of Invincible Spirit was well-backed as the even-money favourite to break his all-weather duck at the second attempt, in novice company at Wolverhampton over seven furlongs before Christmas - and he got the job done with little fuss.
He held his head a little high that day, not for the first time, so Cieren Fallon will doubtless be wise to keep him out of the kickback here. But it was a step very much in the right direction - in first-time cheekpieces after a gelding operation - and a 7lb rise for this handicap debut does not appear a major concern, following plausible previous efforts to twice finish third in October.
Ayr Harbour has already proved his liking for Southwell, and has a fine chance to regain the winning knack in the Bombardier Handicap.