Racing: Cold snap threatens cards

Sedgefield and Hereford are the Boxing Day cards under most severe threat from the weather as frost and snow, which caused the abandonment of three of Saturday's jumping cards, threatens to disrupt the racing programme.

Sedgefield will be inspected at noon today, with the clerk of the course, James Hutchinson, saying: "We already have three to four inches of snow and it would take quite a lot of rain to shift that. At this stage I would say prospects are slim."

Hereford is also in doubt and the stewards plan to inspect at 7am on Boxing Day. The clerk, John Williams, said: "There was a minus four frost last night and it isn't much more than break even now. It will be a minor miracle if we do race."

However, officials at Kempton are optimistic that racing will go ahead. The clerk of the course, Brian Clifford, said: "We could have raced here on Saturday, at noon, no problem. Last night's frost was more severe and around for longer, but the forecast is very uplifting."

The only all-weather Flat card on Boxing Day is on the Fibresand at Wolverhampton.