Monday 26 January 2015 18:45, UK
Musselburgh Racecourse will put down covers on the most vulnerable parts of the track in a bid to counter the effects of a weather forecast that could include snow.
The East Lothian track is scheduled to host the £150,000 John Smith’s Scottish Cheltenham Trials race day on Sunday and boss Bill Farnsworth said his team will do everything possible to ensure the meeting, which includes the new Sky Bet Supreme Trial, goes ahead.
A decision to cover the entire track had to be made by no later than midday on Monday in order to get the covers down before the cold weather, forecast arrive on Wednesday.
However, Farnsworth ruled this option out as it would require heavy-duty covering able to withstand the forecast strong winds over the four day period in the lead up to the race meeting and heavy duty sheets would prove difficult to remove should any snow fall before Sunday.
He said: “We are opting instead to use selective covering on the most vulnerable parts of the track and have our fingers crossed that overnight temperatures don’t dip below minus 2 degrees.
“The heavy duty covers needed to cover the entire track could actually work against us if there is any snowfall, as the suppliers have warned us that they become impossible to remove after snow. There is a possibility that that the course will experience snow showers on Saturday and there may not be sufficient time to remove the covers once the snow has melted as temperatures rise on Sunday.
“Musselburgh, with its coastal location, tends to be slightly warmer than average temperatures experienced just a few miles away, so we are hopeful that racing on Sunday will not be affected by the cold weather which is forecast from Wednesday and lasting over the weekend.
“We will keep a close eye on the situation and take all appropriate measures to ensure the John Smith’s Scottish Cheltenham Trials meeting goes ahead as planned.”
Sky Bet have opened betting on their race, making El Namoose 3/1 favourite.
