Saturday’s meeting at Haydock has been called off due to a frozen track.
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright had planned to hold a precautionary inspection at 8am on raceday to assess conditions ahead of the card, which was set to feature four Grade Two contests including the Peter Marsh Chase. However, he brought that check forward after temperatures dropped to minus 3C overnight, leaving the course unraceable.
Haydock’s cancellation means it will be a fifth day in Britain with no jumps action as Ascot and Taunton had already abandoned, with Lingfield, Southwell and Wolverhampton flying the flag on the all-weather.
Lingfield is also scheduled to hold a classy National Hunt card on Sunday, but that meeting hinges on a 4pm inspection on Saturday. There will be a jumps meeting in Ireland though, as Navan’s Saturday fixture will go ahead as planned after the chase track was declared fit for action following a morning check. PA Media
Saturday tips
Lingfield 1.37 Dream Harder is unbeaten in three starts since joining the Ian Williams stable in the autumn and had a little more to spare at Newcastle last time than the three-quarter length margin might suggest.
Lingfield 2.12 Tom Marquand is an interesting booking for 16-1 shot Shoot To Kill, who probably needed his run a fortnight ago after 245 days off and is back to his last winning mark.
Lingfield 2.47 Morgan Fairy can build on her career-best win at this track last time off a 2lb higher mark.
Lingfield 3.22 The drop back to the minimum trip should make the difference for Silky Wilkie after two good runs over six furlongs. GW