Ffos Las keep fingers crossed for thaw

The 50,000 SIS Live Welsh Champion Hurdle is the feature race at the Carmarthenshire track and the card has been boosted by the rescheduling of the Tolworth Hurdle from Sandown's abandoned programme last Saturday.

Ffos Las is pulling out all the stops to stage the fixture and clerk of the course Tim Long remains hopeful, despite yesterday's snow. "We had a couple of inches of snow this morning, it all came very quickly, but it is rapidly disappearing," he said yesterday. "We've had a good thaw and it's got to three degrees this afternoon and there's a lot of sunshine.

"There could be another flurry of snow through tonight, but the forecast is for it to stay round about the freezing mark day and night.

"If we get this total thaw, which it looks like we are, and we have 24-36 hours to have a good window to put sheets down to cover the whole course that's what we are going to do. We are giving ourselves a fair chance. Geographically if anyone is going to be racing we've got the best chance and the forecast does give us a squeak."

National Hunt fixtures are being called off at regular intervals but now widespread snow is starting to affect all-weather meetings, with Lingfield and Kempton today under threat.

Lingfield was due to hold a precautionary inspection at 6.30am. It had been thought the Surrey venue would miss the worst of the blizzards but a change in the forecast has put officials there on red alert. "This snow originally looked like it was going to be round to the west of us. But that is now changing rapidly," said clerk of the course Neil MacKenzie Ross.

"It's not just the racing surface that we are concerned with. It's access, making the site clear for people obviously that it is safe to get here. There are lots of things to take into consideration."

Kempton this evening is subject to an 8am precautionary inspection. "We are perfectly raceable now but heavy snow is on the way. It's a question of if we can shift the snow off the track and then it needs to be safe in and around the course as well," said clerk of the course Barney Clifford.

Jeremy Noseda is lining up a team of five for the Dubai Carnival, headed by classy sprinter Strike The Deal.

The five-year-old will be joined on the flight by Royal Hunt Cup winner Forgotten Voice, progressive handicappers Stoic and Leahurst and Awinnersgame.

"Strike The Deal came back from the Breeders' Cup lame and had to have four easy weeks. His preparations since have slightly been hindered by the harsh weather," Noseda told his website, www.jeremynoseda.com. "His programme will depend on how he trains in Dubai but we would like to consider a Group Three sprint on 11 February ahead of one of the sprints on World Cup night."

Stoic has won his last three, with Leahurst winning two of his last three, and both would look ideal candidates for the valuable handicap events, while Forgotten Voice and Awinnersgame make up the Noseda quintet.