Anton Corneal, Technical director of Trinidad and Tobago Football Association believes the country’s governing football body will have to do some restructuring to meet the demands of the calendar, particularly from a youth perspective, as FIFA recently announced that as of 2025, youth tournaments will take place every year, instead of biennially.
“Now we've got to redesign what we are doing when it comes to a high-performance programme. Instead of catering for players every two years, now we will be catering for players every year,” Corneal said in a recent interview with TTFA media.
On that note, Corneal pointed to the need for more human and financial resources to achieve their objectives and, by extension, endure Trinidad and Tobago is consistently represented at tournaments.
"It is going to be difficult to manage because you are asking for a second staff to be hired. If it does not come with additional funding then it is going to become difficult and we will have to make sure we prioritise in a way that it is beneficial to all,” he reasoned.
Interestingly, Trinidad and Tobago’s first football assignment for the year will be the Caribbean leg of the Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championships next month.
The twin island republic will host Group D of the qualifiers, with Canada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica standing in their way, as only the group winner will advance to the next round to join the top teams –United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.
"We've got a few things (this year). First, we have youth tournaments. The Under-20 boys will be the immediate youth tournament where the preliminary group will be played in T&T in February. We have been in training (locally) for the last two and a half months. I have to say it is a real competitive group of players. They would merge with players out of the US and a few out of the UK,” Corneal shared.
“It is not going to be a given (the challenge to top the group), but we have had relatively decent results against Canada over the last ten years where it has fluctuated. They have won some and we have won some,” he ended.
The first foal of superstar stayer Stradivarius was born on Monday morning – and bears a striking resemblance to her father.
Owned by Bjorn Nielsen, trained by John and Thady Gosden and instantly recognisable with his big white blaze, Stradivarius won the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot three times under Frankie Dettori, as part of career prize-money haul that topped more than £3million.
He was retired to the National Stud in September 2022 and was visited by 120 mares in 2023. The first of his progeny are now appearing and the very first is a chestnut filly, bred by Wretham Stud out of the Bated Breath mare Give Me Breath.
Nielsen said: “I’m astonished at how much this first foal is like ‘Strad’ in both her colouring and movement, being chestnut with a big white blaze!”
Joe Bradley, head of bloodstock at the National Stud, added: “She is a lovely first foal for Stradivarius and looks to have his strength and athleticism which bodes well for future arrivals. We have two more mares due in the next week so it is an exciting time for everyone on the farm.”
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.
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.”
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.”
The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) has bestowed heartfelt congratulations upon Alphonso Bridgewater for his outstanding achievements, as he was honored with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) and The Companion Star of Merit (CSM) by St Kitts and Nevis.
This recognition was in appreciation of Bridgewater's significant contributions to sports and sports administration, a testament to his lifelong dedication to the world of athletics.
According to CANOC President, Keith Joseph, Alphonso Bridgewater's name has become synonymous with sports in the Caribbean, and while he has been involved in various capacities throughout his life, many recognize him as the distinguished President of the National Olympic Committee of St Kitts and Nevis. In this role, Bridgewater has exemplified distinction, pride, and an amiable disposition that has not only endeared him to the sports community within his nation but has also resonated well beyond its shores, reaching the international community.
“His exceptional flair for communication and profound insights into global sports matters have set him apart. Bridgewater has conducted himself with immense humility and an unwavering eagerness to assist others whenever needed. His dedication to the values inherent in sports and his readiness to confront challenges within the global sports framework make him a true ambassador of the sporting spirit,” Joseph said.
Bridgewater's influence extends beyond the borders of St Kitts and Nevis, as he has served the wider Caribbean region and the Americas in his capacity as an Executive member of Panam Sports. Additionally, he successfully persuaded his nation's government to shoulder the significant responsibility of hosting the General Assembly of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
While the honors bestowed upon Alphonso Bridgewater are undoubtedly a recognition of his remarkable contributions to sports in St Kitts and Nevis, CANOC emphasizes that they extend far beyond. They are a reflection of the person Bridgewater has become—an exemplar for many, both within and outside the realm of sports.
“In extending their congratulations, CANOC acknowledges Bridgewater not only as a brother and a friend but also as an advocate for the best in all of us. He is recognized as an administrator par excellence and a profoundly committed character whose impact has been felt not only locally but also globally,” said CANOC president concluded.
Ashroe Diamond is likely to tee up a Cheltenham Festival bid at Doncaster on January 27.
Willie Mullins’ top-class mare has the Grade Two Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle as an aim as she finds herself ineligible from most races restricted to her sex in Ireland due to winning a Grade One last term.
She made a perfectly satisfactory comeback this season when third in the Hatton’s Grace against the boys at Fairyhouse.
“We were delighted with her first run back, she was one of the last to come in because of the cut she got in the Honeysuckle (Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, at Fairyhouse in April),” said James Fenton who manages the Blue Blood Racing Club who own the mare.
“It was a bad enough cut, she needed staples in it and it was a bit of a mess and needed plenty of work.
“We are very limited in Ireland when it comes to Grade One-winning mares as they are omitted from a lot of the graded races.
“We’d have liked to have run her in the BeattheBank at Leopardstown over Christmas that Shewearsitwell won last season, but as a Grade One winner she couldn’t go in it.
“So we’re probably looking across the water and she’s going to be entered in Doncaster on the 27th (Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle) and the plan is to run at Cheltenham in the Mares’ Hurdle.
“She’s doing everything right at home and she’s a proper mare this year, we’re looking forward to getting her out.”
He went on: “She’s been kept in training because we think there’s more to come. I felt she was a little bit hard done by last year. She hasn’t made Cheltenham yet and when we discussed it I said there’s still a bit more there.
“We just felt she deserves one more year over hurdles, she is a Grade One winner already, there isn’t much to prove going over fences but I do think she’s good enough to win the Mares’ Hurdle and if she’s in the first three, we’ll be delighted.
“Myself, Willie, Patrick (Mullins) and David Casey will all have our views of the best route and when you have that kind of a team saying what you should be doing and where you should be going, you probably should be listening.”
El Fabiolo remains on course for Ascot’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase on Saturday.
While most of southern England is currently white over due to a succession of freezing nights, with more to come, there is hope in the forecast that it may warm up in time for the weekend.
It would be a huge shame if the meeting does not go ahead, as Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo is due to meet the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon, with the score between the two currently standing at one win each.
However, should the meeting be lost to the weather and rerouted to Cheltenham the following weekend, as it was last year, El Fabiolo appears unlikely to make the journey.
“We took him to the Curragh yesterday, Paul (Townend) rode him, he went very well so the plan at the moment is to head to Ascot at the weekend,” said assistant trainer Patrick Mullins on Sky Sports Racing.
“The plan is, as long as the race is going to go ahead, we’ll probably take the boat on Thursday afternoon. If it’s called off and he had to come home we’ll probably wait for the Dublin Racing Festival which is on our doorstep and worth great money as well.”
He went on: “To be honest I’d have thought the Dublin Racing Festival seemed the more obvious choice, but Willie, Simon (Munir) and Isaac (Souede, owners) seemed very keen to go to Ascot.
“Jonbon looks like a horse who is improving all the time and he’s a brother to Douvan, but I think we were very unlucky not to beat him in the novice hurdle (at Aintree), we got hampered at the third-last and made a mistake at the last and we beat him well at Cheltenham last year.
“You never know, the score is 1-1, hopefully we can make it 2-1 but there will be another rematch later if we don’t.
“It will be a spectacular race, great for the sport. Both teams are going in thinking they have a live chance.
“It’s a bit like in boxing when you get a trilogy. Hopefully they all get there and the race pans out as you hope, but we’re delighted with our fellow.
“He’s not a natural super-sharp two-miler (over a fence), he does have his own style. The day he won at the DRF with Daryl (Jacob) he put down at the fourth-last, but he seems to know where he is putting his feet. He generally keeps his hind end low which gives him a good centre of balance and, touch wood, while it is his own style, it does seem to be very effective.”
An update on conditions at Ascot 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.”
It is always exciting when a club makes its debut on a stage which they long dreamed of. Such is the case of Jamaica Premier League outfit Cavalier, who is among the first-timers set to grace this year’s edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, after they finished as runner-up in last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
Anchoring what is the youngest team in Jamaica’s top-flight league is goalkeeper Vino Barclett, who started all eight matches for Cavalier during the tournament, and made 28 saves, which assisted the Rudolph Speid-coached team to the Caribbean Cup showpiece.
Though they lost 0-3 on aggregate to Suriname’s Robinhood, their main objective was met, as their vision of playing against some of the best clubs in the Concacaf region, has come to fruition.
“It was a big achievement for a Jamaican club. We played in a knockout tournament domestically and got to the finals, we played in the domestic league and got to the finals and so getting to the Caribbean Cup final and qualifying for Champions Cup was another big achievement for us,” Barclett said in a recent interview with Concacaf.com.
“All of the players were deserving, we worked hard for it, the only thing we lacked was winning silverware,” he added.
While most of his Cavalier teammates are from Jamaica, Barclett is one of the team’s full-time international players, as he represents St Lucia on an even bigger stage. Giving his vast experience representing St Lucia in Concacaf Nations League, Barclett is not one to shy away from tough competition and, as such, is now eager to parade his skill in Concacaf’s premier club competition.
“Representing St Lucia on this stage is like a dream come true. I’m still a relatively young player, just 24 years old, I think I’m the only goalkeeper from St Lucia to have played in this tournament. It is a big achievement for me, and I want to show our amateur players back home that they can be on this big stage. I’m excited for the exposure and opportunity,” Barclett shared.
Cavalier’s Round One encounter will be against Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Cincinnati, scheduled for February 22, and Barclett knows a sturdy challenge awaits as their opponents capped the 2023 MLS regular season with the best record.
“The preparation has been going up to standard, we have been putting in the work. In our domestic league in the last six games, we are unbeaten with five wins and one draw, so I think the team has prepared with full conviction. We know it won’t be easy game. We have to be focused in every second of the game, we cannot switch off. Our team has a good chemistry and in preparation for that game we are working very hard,” the agile goaltender said.
With Cavalier boasting so many young players, the 2024 Champions Cup represents the perfect platform on which a group of hungry players can demonstrate their skills to the world. It is also a chance to show everyone the strength of Jamaica’s domestic football.
“I would say this is the biggest moment of my career. I have been in finals, but this will be the biggest game of my career. This is a game that can be an opportunity for many of us. Maybe scouts see us and who knows where that might lead. Representing the Caribbean is a responsibility that we embrace, knowing that we are representing the Jamaican nation, so we will be relying on our fans in the home game,” Barclett ended.
It was Shamar Joseph's dream debut in Test cricket, and little did he know that his extraordinary performance would become the talking point of the opening day at the historic Adelaide Oval. The West Indies, however, found themselves in a precarious position against hosts Australia.
Sent into bat, the Caribbean men struggled to put up a decent total, managing only 188 runs. The top order collapsed, with the team reeling at 133-9, courtesy of the relentless pace duo of Australia's captain Pat Cummins, who took 4-41 and Josh Hazlewood’s 4-44. The lone resistance came from Kirk McKenzie, playing in only his second Test, who scored a gritty half-century amid the crumbling wickets.
It was then that Shamar Joseph, the West Indies' No.11, strode to the crease with determination. The Guyanese player showcased unexpected resilience, smashing 36 runs and contributing significantly to a 10th-wicket partnership of 55 runs alongside fellow bowler Kemar Roach, who remained unbeaten on 17. This unexpected lower-order resistance helped the West Indies reach a somewhat more respectable total.
Buoyed by his batting heroics the debutant carried his positive momentum into the bowling attack. In a stunning turn of events, he dismissed the dangerous Steve Smith, who had been promoted to open the innings following David Warner's retirement. Smith, who had been in sublime touch, fell to Joseph's clever bowling for just 12.
Joseph's dream debut continued as he followed up with the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, who made 10, further denting Australia's innings. He finished the day with figures of 2-18 from his six overs as the hosts ended the day at 59-2, with Usman Khawaja (30) and Cameron Green (6) at the crease.
Notably, Joseph's dream debut wasn't just about his all-around performance. He etched his name in history by becoming the 23rd player in Test history, and the second from the West Indies, to take a wicket with his very first ball in Test cricket. And it wasn't just any wicket.
"Getting Steve Smith, I'll remember this for the rest of my life," Joseph exclaimed after the day's play. "I'll actually take a picture and post it up in my house." He had already predicted to his teammates that he would get a wicket with his first ball, and when it happened, he credited his positive mindset for the success.
"I didn't know it was Steve Smith," Joseph admitted. "That went well for me. You're coming up against the best team in Test cricket. So I just came with a positive mindset and did what I do best."
The West Indies could have been in an even stronger position had Joshua da Silva, who managed only six runs in the West Indies innings, held onto a catch after Alzarri Joseph found Khawaja’s edge when the Australian opener was on three, during the second over of the hosts’ innings.
Eydon is pencilled in to make his long-awaited debut for Andrew Balding in next month’s BetUK Winter Derby.
The five-year-old was previously trained by Roger Varian, winning the 2022 Feilden Stakes before finishing fourth to Coroebus in the 2000 Guineas, beaten just four and a quarter lengths.
However, Eydon has not run since that Classic date two years ago, with a series of injury setbacks keeping him on the sidelines before he moved to the care of Balding ahead of the 2023 campaign.
The son of Olden Times missed his intended first start for the yard at Sandown in September, but Balding reports him to be in good form ahead of the February 24 contest at Southwell.
He said: “Eydon has a very high level of form, although it has been some time since he was last on the track. He has had a few niggles, but we are really pleased with him at the moment and the Winter Derby is very much the plan.
“The intention is to go straight there without a run – we feel that is the right thing to do.”
Balding also has Dante Stakes winner The Foxes and Teumessias Fox in the Group Three, but neither appear likely to run in the Winter Derby.
The trainer added: “I am very happy with The Foxes. Our preferred option for him is the Saudi Cup meeting, but he is likely to run in the Winter Derby Trial at Southwell on January 25 as a prep. We will see how that goes and then make a decision on what to do next.
“Our other entry Teumessias Fox will stay in handicaps for the time being. He has ability and we felt it was worth giving him the option, just in case the race cuts up.”
Last year’s winner and multiple Group One scorer Lord North is one of 22 entries for the race, which will be taking place at Southwell for the first time.
Previously run over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield since its inception in 1998, the switch to Southwell has prompted an increase in distance to 11 furlongs.
David Attwood, Southwell’s clerk of the course, said: “We do not have a 10-furlong start and, when we looked at whether we could introduce one, it was only about 20 yards from the start of the bend.
“It also would have meant coming on and off the track via the turf course, which was not viable, so the British Horseracing Authority kindly allowed us to change the race distance to a mile and three furlongs.
“It is exciting because the BetUK Winter Derby will be the first Group race run here at Southwell, while the same card also features the Listed BetUK Hever Sprint.”
Lord North is one of five entries for John and Thady Gosden, along with Lion’s Pride and Middle Earth, who both enjoyed Listed success on their latest starts, 2021 Winter Derby winner Forest Of Dean and progressive handicapper Vaguely Royal.
Australian Group One winner Dubai Honour and Mujtaba have been entered by William Haggas, with Jean-Claude Rouget’s Glaer another eyecatching possible.
The first day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival has been cancelled due to a frozen track.
Officials inspected at 8.30am on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s jumps card, which was set to be headlined by the Grade Two Download The Racing App Lightning Novices’ Chase.
Despite covering the whole track 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.
The Winter Million is a three-day fixture, with Saturday’s card featuring Flat racing on the all-weather track and Sunday seeing jumps action, including the richly-endowed Fleur De Lys Chase.
That card will now be further enhanced, with the British Horseracing Authority announcing the Lightning will be rescheduled for Sunday, with original entries standing but new declarations to be made on Friday morning.
There will be no National Hunt action in Britain on Thursday with Ludlow abandoned due to a frozen track following an inspection on Wednesday morning. The other scheduled meetings at Wincanton and Newcastle were cancelled earlier in the week.
Friday’s card at Market Rasen is also now subject to a precautionary check at noon on Thursday, but Wednesday’s Southwell jumps fixture did get the go-ahead following a morning check.
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