This weeks racing prospects (Thursday to Sunday)

[andyfuller]

Thursday:

~ Huntingdon - Abandoned

~ Ludlow - Abandoned

~ Thurles - Abandoned

~ Lingfield - Abandoned

~ Kempton - Abandoned

~ Southwell - On



Friday:

~ Bangor - Abandoned

~ Fontwell - Abandoned

~ Wolverhampton - Abandoned

~ Lingfield - On

~ Southwell - On



Saturday:

~ Sedgefield - Abandoned

~ Wincanton - Abandoned

~ Puncestown - Abandoned

~ Ffos Las - Abandoned

~ Kempton - Inspection 6.30am Saturday

~ Lingfield - Inspection 6.30am Saturday



Sunday:

~ Hereford - Abandoned

~ Leopardstown - Abandoned

~ Southwell - no reported problems

[Ollie LJ]

According to the Met Office long range forecast the cold snap is likely to continue for the next week or so:

UK Outlook for Monday 11 Jan 2010 to Wednesday 20 Jan 2010:

Next week looks set to remain cold or very cold across the UK. There will be a good deal of dry weather especially in the west, with occasional wintry showers in the east. However, outbreaks of snow, which may be heavy in places, at first in central areas on Monday (11th). Windy at times across many parts with significant wind chill. Overnight frosts and ice with very low minimum temperatures in the north. Risk of snow in far south on Friday. The trend from next weekend onwards looks most likely to continue cold or very cold with further snow showers in eastern parts. There remains a signal for less cold weather by the end of the period but there is low confidence in this aspect.

The only consolation is that the Met Office also predicted a "barbecue summer" and a mild winter so maybe they have got this wrong as well.

[bugrit]

Weather forecasting has one very big similarity to trading, it's a probabilities game. The hot summer was a 65% chance and the mild to normal winter was a similar %
We all know that odds on shots regularly lose The trend from next weekend onwards looks most likely to continue cold or very cold with further snow showers in eastern parts. There remains a signal for less cold weather by the end of the period but there is low confidence in this aspect
Unfortunatly looks like we may be backing a long shot, but hey we also know they sometimes come in

[rhysmr2]

Does anyone fancy robbing a bank?

Needs must and all.

[Bet Angel]

The bank suddenly starts to look appealing. Wolverhampton now off, snow and related issues.

[andyfuller]

Looking like at least 2 meetings now each day bar Sunday - think I will go and see Avatar in 3D on sunday and enjoy the last day off

[Bet Angel]

Interview with BHA on 432. They basically said they can't keep filling out the card with hastily arrange AW fixtures so if the cold spell continues much longer they will be looking to change their approach and probably try better quality but fewer days. They also said they will be looking to apportion out a number of better races to all courses so some decent races are not lost.

[to75ne]

personally i think the whole jan is going be bad. all that snow is gonna melt, so i expect loads of meetings to be cancelled due to water logging and floods. whats left heavy going.

[Bet Angel]

I think you could be right, never seen this in all my time on Betfair. I guess things are unlikely to get any better for the short term.

http://www.racingpost.com/horses/home.sd?story=669620

[andyfuller]

Did you know that for every meeting that is abandoned that the Levy board pays £10,000 to each course!?

Now for £10,000 you can buy a tractor pulled grit/sand spreader (plus some grit to go in) and a very good snow blower.

Since this cold snap we have lost how many meetings? I would say we are approaching 25 if not past 20.

So that is £250,000 paid out by the Levy

So that is 25 courses that could have been equipped with spreaders and snow blowers. The bonus is that they will still have them next year!

Add in the lost Levy from the lack of betting and I think they could have easily equipped the entire country's tracks with Trailers and Blowers, of course some don't need them like Newmarket.

So why doesn't the industry invest for the future and spend some money which next year and the year after and the year after will pay dividends.

What about having a central store from where the equipment could be distributed as and when needed?

To say we rarely experience this weather isn't good enough - as we have seen just experiencing it this year has cost the industry a fortune. I remember likewise last Feb!

A quote from the Levy annual report:

"The 2009 Scheme provides for the reimbursement to the racecourse of £10,000 per fixture following abandonment of a raceday. £1,040,000 was reimbursed to racecourses under these arrangements in 2008/09."

Of course not all of that is from snow - very little but we did lose a lot due to the snow in Feb 09! That is a lot of money not begin invested!

What's your view?

How about that for racing for change!