Lingfield’s all-weather meeting on Saturday has been put back by over two hours with doubts surrounding the meetings on turf.

What was the scheduled second day of the Winter Million weekend was scheduled to begin at 10.10am, but it will now take place at 12.15, subject to any divisions.

The first day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on Friday was cancelled on Wednesday morning due to a frozen track.

Despite covering the whole course with fleece last Saturday, there are frozen areas under the covers and with temperatures not forecast to rise sufficiently before the meeting, the seven-race card has been cancelled.

Clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered said: “We’re really gutted that we’ve had to abandon Friday’s card, but with the lower than expected temperatures that we saw on Monday night of minus 7C, followed by last night’s frost of minus 1C, we do still have frost under the fleece.

“Tonight we could get down to minus 6C and on Thursday night we’re due to go down to minus 5C, so looking at that forecast, I don’t see there being sufficient improvement ahead of Friday.”

The final day of the Winter Million meeting on Sunday will now be further enhanced, with the British Horseracing Authority announcing the Grade Two Download The Racing App Lightning Novices’ Chase will be rescheduled for then, with original entries standing but new declarations to be made on Friday morning.

Wethered added: “Looking at the forecast, it looks to improve for Saturday and Sunday’s racing, with positive temperatures coming through Saturday itself and we’re forecast to be plus 3C overnight from Saturday into Sunday.

“We’re delighted that we’ve been able to move the Lightning to Sunday’s card.”

Friday’s card at Market Rasen is subject to a precautionary check at noon on Thursday, but Wednesday’s Southwell jumps fixture did get the go-ahead following a morning check.

Saturday’s feature Clarence House Chase card hangs in the balance at Ascot.

An update released on social media read: “The track is currently frozen in places under the covers in the shaded areas of the racecourse.

“This is an improvement on yesterday morning but the forecast indicates a more severe forecast over the next two nights with temperatures due to drop as low as minus 5C.

“The forecast beyond that remains conflicting with the possibility of milder conditions arriving. We will continue to monitor and update as we get closer to raceday.”

Officials at Taunton have announced an inspection for noon on Friday ahead of Saturday’s fixture, with the track currently unraceable and further frost forecast for the next two nights.

Thursday’s meeting at Fairyhouse has been called off, with the card transferred to January 24 as the track is frozen.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has not ruled out a big-money move to a leading club this month after completing his eight-month football ban.

Toney’s suspension for breaching Football Association gambling rules ended on Wednesday and he could return to action on Saturday in the Bees’ home Premier League game against Nottingham Forest.

The 27-year-old, who scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season before being suspended in May, has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea.

He celebrated the end of his ban from football with a social media post declaring he was “free”.

When asked if this month was not the right time to leave Brentford, Toney told Sky Sports: “Well I don’t know, you can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere.

“It’s obvious I’d like to play for a top club, everybody wants to play for the top clubs, fighting for titles and these kinds of things.

“So whether it’s this January for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows?

“But my main focus is doing what I do on the pitch and let the background work take care of itself.”

Toney made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March and reiterated his desire to become his country’s leading striker.

“To be the best you have to play with the best and competing against the best,” he said.

“Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and he’s been doing it for some years now, so if I want to be England’s number one I’ve got to compete against him.

“He’s not a bad striker to be taking tips off. I’ve just got to keep scoring goals and keep playing well and who knows what can happen?”

Toney has been diagnosed as a gambling addict, but is confident he has beaten the habit.

“Sometimes you just don’t realise what you’re doing in the moment,” he added. “It’s sorted out now.

“I’ve spoken to people about it and it’s all sorted now, so I’ll focus on doing the right thing. I’ll do none of that rubbish now, it’s all good.”

Frank said before his side’s FA Cup replay defeat at Wolves on Tuesday night that Toney “will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday” and was hopeful of keeping hold of the striker at least until the end of the season.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans,” Frank said.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.”

Toney was also fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

James Owen has raised the exciting possibility of Triumph Hurdle favourite Burdett Road running in the Unibet Hurdle next weekend.

A Royal Ascot winner for Michael Bell, he has been very impressive in two starts over timber to date in the hands of Harry Cobden.

While Cobden’s availability is not set in stone due to his link with Paul Nicholls, Owen is considering taking on the older horses as he feels he would learn more in a better race than if it was a small field in the JCB Triumph Trial on the same card.

With Constitution Hill no longer running in what is registered as the International Hurdle, run on Trials day for the first time this year, the race has suddenly opened up.

“He doesn’t need to run before the Festival, but it would be nice for experience. I think next time he’s going to put a better performance up, especially on better ground, it will help his speed and his jumping,” Owen told Sky Sports Racing.

“I’d like to get another run into him because he’s a fresh horse, he was too fresh at Huntingdon, another run then five or six weeks into the Festival would be great.

“I think Harry is keen to ride him and if he can’t, there’s plenty of good jockeys out there.

“He’ll be entered in two races on Trials day, the four-year-old race and the older race, where he gets all the allowances. It’s not a bad shout, he’d learn a lot in that race and if there were only four runners in the Triumph Trial we might run him in the other one where he’d learn a bit more.

“The Triumph is the aim this year, as long as we get there in the same health we are now – a bit more experience would be great, which way we get there doesn’t matter.

“Whether we go to Trials day or if we are not happy or it’s not on, that’s why he is in in Ireland (Dublin Racing Festival), that’s an option as well. The Adonis is there but personally I think that is too close, if we don’t go to Trials day or Ireland I think we’d go straight there.”

Gloucester boss George Skivington believes that star wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s move to American football is not a “reflection on rugby”.

Rees-Zammit has rocked the rugby world by quitting a sport which brought him 32 Wales caps and a starring role for the British and Irish Lions on their 2021 tour of South Africa.

Wales and Gloucester, though, must now prepare for life without their prolific try-scorer as he heads to the United States, where the NFL’s International Player Pathway awaits him in his quest to forge a new career.

Skivington, though, does not think the sport losing such a box-office figure will start alarm bells ringing.

“I don’t think there are many people who have actually left the sport, really,” he said.

“This happens very rarely – Christian Wade would be the last time someone tried to move in this direction.

“I don’t think it is anything to do with rugby, his (Rees-Zammit’s) decision. It is just something he has always wanted to do.

“I don’t think it is a reflection on rugby at all, I think it is one person’s dream and the opportunity is there.

“I don’t foresee many rugby players going in that direction as a result of it. If it doesn’t work out, he will be back in the game, but I don’t think it is any reflection on rugby itself.”

Skivington confirmed that Gloucester would have discussions with Rees-Zammit, who made his Premiership debut for them as an 18-year-old, if things do not work out in the US.

In the meantime, though, he must plot the remainder of Gloucester’s season without a player whose dazzling try-scoring ability won worldwide admirers.

“We would talk to ‘Zam’ if things fall through, but his mindset is that he won’t be coming back and I think he has to have that mindset to go and do what he is going to try and do,” Skivington added.

“If it all changes, we will see where we are at.

“We would always welcome him back. If he comes back to rugby of course there will be conversations but his mindset as of Monday was very much that he is moving on from rugby and he is going to rip into American football.

“He desperately wants to go and do it and we are not going to stand in the way of someone with what is a pretty unique opportunity.

“He is changing sport. If it doesn’t work out, he might come back to rugby, but his mindset is he is leaving rugby for good.

“He is definitely not taking it lightly. He has got a 10-week programme and then hopefully he gets selected and he gets his foot in the door.

“We all hope he makes it, because it will be a great story if he does.”

Love Envoi could be rerouted to the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday week after freezing temperatures scuppered plans to run at Lingfield on Friday.

Having finished second to Not So Sleepy in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown on her reappearance, Harry Fry’s star mare was due to take on the boys once more in the £100,000 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle on day one of Lingfield’s Winter Million Racing Festival.

However, a frozen track forced the abandonment of Friday’s card and while the Lightning Novices’ Chase was rescheduled to be run at the same track on Sunday, Love Envoi’s race was not.

Fry has yet to firm up an alternative target for the Noel Fehily Racing-owned eight-year-old, but raised next weekend’s Grade Two feature in the Cotswolds as a possible option following news earlier in the week that Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill will not be lining up.

“We’re in discussions with Noel Fehily and Dave Crosse and the owners about what we do next, we haven’t decided yet,” said Fry.

“Friday’s race was ideal, but it was not to be, so we’re discussing it among ourselves and deciding on a new plan.

“There’s a mares’ hurdle at Doncaster next weekend over two miles, but I think that’s very unlikely. There is the International (Unibet Hurdle) at Cheltenham and I think we’ll probably be putting an entry in for that, and then there’s a Listed mares’ hurdle at Warwick on February 10.

“We’ll continue to discuss it and work out where we go from here.”

Patrick Mullins has hailed Gaelic Warrior’s versatility – but as a result admits it means his Cheltenham Festival target is likely to be a late decision.

Having won from two to three miles over hurdles, he has shown both speed and stamina and his win in Grade One company at Limerick over Christmas marked him out as one of the best novice chasers at Willie Mullins’ Closutton yard.

However, he has shown a marked tendency to jump to his right and his only two defeats since joining Mullins have come at the left-handed Cheltenham.

He has been entered in the two-mile Arkle, the two-and-a-half-mile Turners Novices’ Chase and the three-mile Brown Advisory at the Festival.

“I think he’s very versatile. He won a very valuable two-mile handicap hurdle and then a Grade One over three miles as well,” Patrick Mullins, who rode him at Limerick, told Sky Sports Racing.

“The way he jumps, he could definitely go back to two miles but he does jump to his right. I think if you see any of the head on shots at Limerick, he does jump to his right.

“So, does going a stride slower on the new course over two and a half (in the Turners) help negate that? It might but if you just asked me what his best distance is, I don’t know. He jumps fast enough for two miles but he stays three miles. He’s just versatile.

“With regards to Cheltenham I don’t know, Willie has him entered in the Irish Arkle so that could be interesting if he goes there, we could get a feel on that but plans are up in the air at the moment.

“Willie always likes to leave it as late as he can so there are no more moving parts and it works well for him. For some horses a race sticks out and you can say that’s the race for him, but with others that’s not the case.

“This fellow is so versatile, he has lots of options so we won’t nail our colours to the mast too soon.”

Nico de Boinville is poised to make his return from a broken collar bone at Market Rasen on Friday.

The rider was injured in a fall at Doncaster on December 29 but should he pass the doctor on Thursday, De Boinville will make his comeback on two mounts for his boss, Nicky Henderson, at the Lincolnshire track.

However, not only does De Boinville need to get medical permission to resume riding, he also needs the meeting to pass a precautionary inspection at noon on Thursday due to the current cold spell.

De Boinville does appear to have won his race against time to take the plum mount on Jonbon in Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot – although that meeting is also subject to the weather. He would clearly be in pole position to ride should the meeting be moved to Cheltenham the following week, as happened last year.

The situation neatly sums up the life of a National Hunt jockey as De Boinville has only taken the reins on Jonbon this season as regular partner Aidan Coleman remains sidelined himself.

Henderson said: “He’s got to pass his medical tomorrow and if he passes that then he’s fine to ride.

“Obviously James (Bowen) has stepped up brilliantly in his absence but Nico has been riding out since last weekend.

“Nico knows them all inside out but James is in here everyday as well, he knows them all too.”

De Boinville is scheduled to ride Jemura in the Read Nicky Henderson’s Exclusive Unibet Blog Handicap Hurdle and Kutaiba in the Listed  Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race.

Looking ahead to Ascot, Henderson said: “It’s such a pain with the weather as everyone is really looking forward to it. We hope it will be all right.

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t go to Cheltenham next week if that is what happens. I’ve seen they’ve said El Fabiolo probably won’t travel twice, but it is pointless me speculating what they might or might not do.

“All I know is we are very happy with Jonbon, we couldn’t be happier and we were really looking forward to the race, I’m sure a lot of people were, and hopefully it will still take place with both of them running.

“We haven’t been held up by the weather, the only thing we can’t do is school on grass but we’ve got an all-weather schooling strip as well and an indoor school, so otherwise everything is fine.

“I’m trying to be an optimist, but I’m finding it quite hard.”

Barcelona manager Xavi maintains his side are “closer to success than defeat” as they look to avoid an upset in their Copa del Rey last-16 tie at third-tier Unionistas.

A 4-1 defeat by rivals Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday further increased the pressure on Xavi and his squad.

Bara president Joan Laporta and other members of the board visited the training ground on Wednesday in an attempt to lift spirits in the camp.

Unionistas, the only non-professional team left in the tournament, secured a place in the last 16 with a penalty shootout win over Villarreal, the initial tie having been suspended following a floodlight failure and finished the following day.

The trip to Salamanca is set to further test Barca’s ambitions, but Xavi insists there is plenty left for the team to play for this season, both domestically and in Europe.

“I am here because I have achieved certain targets. When I joined they told me the goal was to finish fourth and we finished second,” Xavi said at a press conference.

“Last season the goal was to win the league – and we did that and also won the Super Cup, surpassing expectations.

“The goal this year was to win trophies and we are halfway through the season and the three most important ones are all still to play for. We are closer to success than defeat.”

Barcelona will be without defender Ronald Araujo following his dismissal against Real, while teenage forward Lamine Yamal is suspended following a red card in the Youth Copa del Rey last year against Malaga.

After seeing his side taken apart at the back by Real, with Vinicius Junior scoring a first-half hat-trick, Xavi knows his side have to tighten up.

“We have to improve in defence. We can’t let in so many goals or make things easy for the opposition,” he said.

Xavi is expecting a hot reception at the Estadio Municipal Reina Sofia as they look to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

“They are good in the air, play direct football and have very clear ideas,” he said. “It won’t be an easy place to go – for them it is the biggest game of their lives.”

Unionistas play in the Primera Federacion alongside Barcelona’s reserve team, running out 2-0 winners against Rafael Marquez’s side at the Estadi Johan Cruyff earlier in January.

Manager Dani Ponz knows his men will be underdogs on Thursday night but is relishing the contest against one of Spain’s giants.

“We cannot be intimidated. It is impossible to stop a team like Barcelona, but we cannot fall into disbelief,” Ponz said at a press conference.

“We are going to continue playing the same way – always looking forward.”

Curtis Main is relishing his return to Scottish football after joining Dundee on an 18-month contract.

The former Motherwell, Aberdeen and St Mirren forward spent the first half of the season with Indian club Bengaluru after leaving the Paisley side under freedom of contract last summer.

Main, who has also played for Darlington, Middlesbrough, Shrewsbury, Doncaster, Oldham and Portsmouth, is delighted to be reunited with Dundee boss Tony Docherty, who was assistant manager to Derek McInnes during the striker’s two and a half years with Aberdeen.

“It is a great feeling to be back in Scottish football and I am really looking forward to getting started with Dundee,” he told the Dark Blues’ official website after signing with the Tayside club until the summer of 2025.

“The manager was a big influence in my decision, I’ve worked with him in the past and he knows what he is going to get from me, and I know what I am going to get from him.

“For me, that was a big appeal to get the opportunity to work with him again. I can’t wait to get back out on the pitch in Scotland and to play in front of the Dundee supporters.”

Main scored nine goals for St Mirren in his last season in Scotland and Docherty was keen to secure his signature from the moment he took the reins at Dens Park last summer.

“I am absolutely delighted to bring Curtis to the club,” said the manager. “I’ve got a good relationship with Curtis from my time as assistant manager at Aberdeen and I built up a strong bond with him.

“He has done fantastic work in the Scottish Premiership, he knows the league really well and he brings real quality in the type of striker that I feel the whole team will benefit from.

“Curtis is also a fantastic professional, I know what he will bring to the club and to the changing room, he has a really strong attitude along with a winning mentality.

“Curtis is a player that I have wanted to bring in right from when I got the job here. I believe Curtis will fit in extremely well with the way we play and I think he is a player that the fans will love.”

Dundee, who are seventh in the cinch Premiership, visit Kilmarnock in the fourth round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup this Saturday.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell has selected Peter O’Mahony as captain for the Guinness Six Nations.

Munster flanker O’Mahony takes on the role from Johnny Sexton, who retired following last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in Paris.

The 34-year-old, who first skippered Ireland in a 15-12 win over the United States in June 2013, has won 101 Test caps for his country, plus one for the British and Irish Lions.

“Ever since I was a boy starting off in the game, I have always dreamed of captaining Ireland,” said O’Mahony.

“I have been asked to lead Ireland on a number of occasions previously, and each of those 10 matches were special days.

“To be now asked to captain Ireland ahead of the Six Nations is without doubt one of the proudest moments of my life and I would like to thank Andy for this show of faith in me.”

Head coach Farrell’s 34-man selection does not include any uncapped players.

However, there are recalls for Leinster quartet Cian Healy, Harry Byrne, Ciaran Frawley and Jordan Larmour, Ulster trio Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney and Jacob Stockdale, and Munster wing Calvin Nash.

Reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland begin the championship on February 2 against France in Marseille.

Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva pulled off the result of the Australian Open so far by beating Ons Jabeur in the second round.

Andreeva allowed the sixth seed and two-time Wimbledon finalist just two games in a 6-0 6-2 hammering, but defending champion Aryna Sabalenka avoided a repeat against another 16-year-old, Brenda Fruhvirtova.

Novak Djokovic had to save four set points in the third set before overcoming Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, the defending champion appearing to be spurred on by an exchange of words with a spectator on Rod Laver Arena in his 6-3 4-6 7-6 (4) 6-3 victory.

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Women: Ons Jabeur (6), Caroline Garcia (16), Leylah Fernandez (32)
Men: France Tiafoe (17), Francisco Cerundolo (22), Lorenzo Musetti (25)

Who’s up next?

The remaining four British singles players are all in action on Thursday, with three on the same court.

Cameron Norrie opens proceedings on 1573 Arena before Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu both play Chinese opponents for the right to meet each other, while Jack Draper faces 14th seed Tommy Paul.

In the day session on Rod Laver Arena, Iga Swiatek faces Danielle Collins, while Carlos Alcaraz takes on Lorenzo Sonego.

Egypt coach Rui Vitoria has warned his team that Ghana will punish any mistakes ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash on Thursday.

Egypt were held to a 2-2 draw by Mozambique in their opening game of the tournament on Sunday.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah’s penalty claimed a point for his country and Portuguese manager Vitoria has told his side they will need to be on top of their game against Ghana.

He said: “It’s going to be a different story. We will have to reduce the spaces and be more concentrated because against an experienced team like Ghana, the slightest mistake is paid dearly.”

Ghana lost their first game 2-1 to Cape Verde courtesy of Garry Rodrigues’ stoppage-time winner.

Vitoria also highlighted the tactical problems his side encountered during their draw to Mozambique.

He added: “Mozambique has a solid team, I said it before meeting them and that’s what happened.

“They gave us a lot of tactical problems with this low block. This team has excellent elements in midfield. They found gaps in us and they took advantage of it.”