Forecast setback for Doncaster ahead of Sky Bet Chase meeting
Prospects for Doncaster's feature meeting of the season taking place on Saturday have taken a turn for the worse.
Last Updated: 22/01/13 12:22pm
The Sky Bet Chase, the StanJames.com Champion Hurdle Trial transferred from Haydock and the Lightning Novices' Chase, which is set to feature Overturn, are all scheduled to take place on Town Moor.
Officials at the track sounded upbeat on Monday about the chances of an improvement in the weather coming in time to save Saturday's card, although Friday's meeting is subject to a 10am inspection on Wednesday.
However, the forecast has now changed and confidence has dipped.
"I'm nowhere near as confident as I was yesterday," said clerk of the course Roderick Duncan.
"The forecast yesterday predicted a rise in temperatures from Thursday onwards, with rain moving in Friday night into Saturday morning.
"Now they are saying the rain will not reach us until Saturday afternoon or evening.
"We are forecast daytime temperatures in the positives but we need a lot of help to shift the snow.
"There have been a few conversations about trying to rearrange the meeting but I don't think they have come to anything as it is logistically very difficult.
"We may get a different forecast this afternoon, we just have to hope they are wrong."
The course is still covered by five inches of snow.