Horse Racing: Sprint boss waiting on course thaw

New Year Sprint promoter Frank Hanlon is refusing to speculate on the chances of the 142nd annual professional footracing gala taking place at Musselburgh Racecourse on Friday and Saturday.

Instead, he is sticking to his line that a decision will be made tomorrow after the official inspection of the course for the New Year's Day National Hunt Meeting.

"The thaw over the last two days has certainly helped but we need several days for the frost to come out of the ground," said Hanlon.

Ironically, some athletes, including backmarker Craig Fleming (Friday's heat nine, off 2.5 metres) and first-time challenger and winter sports specialist Gillian Cooke (heat six, 16.5m) would actually prefer a firm, frosty surface to the prospect of the sort of muddy lanes on the second day last New Year.

"I was slipping all over the place and really struggled last time," said Fleming.

The is-it-on, is-it-off uncertainty has left many coaches and athletes in limbo not knowing whether to go ahead with their arrangements to travel.

But former Scotland basketball player George Charters, whose two sons Steven and Ryan, are both entered in the meeting, is banking on the go-ahead: "We're certainly still up for it," he said.