Lie Forrit's fitness is big worry for Amos

Amos's yard at Broadhaugh Farm at Newmill-on-Teviot has been badly hit by the recent cold snap but before that Lie Forrit was an intended runner in the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham.

However, having not galloped for over two weeks, Amos is concerned Lie Forrit may not be fit enough to travel down south.

"We are hoping to get Lie Forrit ready in time for the Cleeve Hurdle," said Amos. "We have been using the indoor school with him but I won't know what I have gained or lost with him until we get him out on the gallops, which will hopefully be tomorrow – I have a JCB clearing them at the moment. I need to get three gallops into him before deciding whether to go down to Cheltenham with him.

"He has only been trotting and cantering inside but he was fit before we had all of the snow, so we will try to get him ready for next weekend.

"He certainly looks tremendous but I need to get all three pieces of work into him. We always knew that he wanted a trip and that the step up to three miles would play to his strengths, but we didn't expect him to progress quite as much as he has so far this season.

"He was carrying a fair bit of weight at Newbury and he was still idling in front – he is certainly a bit quirky but he keeps finding more. We have entered him in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and I don't think that we have any alternatives with him – if he ran in the Pertemps Final he would be lumbered with top weight.

"Everybody seems to be running scared of Big Buck's but you can't be afraid of one horse and nothing fazes Lie Forrit – he hits a flat spot in his races but he stays all day."

Meanwhile, officials at Ascot are confident Saturday's high-profile meeting will go ahead as scheduled.

The Berkshire venue is due to stage a seven-race card featuring the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase and although conditions are likely to be testing, clerk of the course Chris Stickels is optimistic racing will go ahead.