The showcase two-day William Hill Festival meeting at Kempton on Boxing Day and on the following Monday remains in doubt due to the freezing weather conditions as betting on whether or not the fixture will go ahead has proven highly unpredictable, writes Elliot Slater.
Although temperatures once again fell below zero on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Sunbury track, the forecast snow on Tuesday failed to arrive and Wednesday also remained clear. Frost covers are in place on the track and clerk of the course Barney Clifford welcomed the let-up in the snow, but remained non-committal as to his belief of whether or not the fixture will actually be able to go ahead as planned.
Having been 11/10 against the meeting taking place as recently as Tuesday afternoon, the betfair paul nicholls tips column (doubtless full of Christmas cheer) seeing the respite in the weather, have plunged on the fixture beating the big freeze and have forced the odds down to 4/7 that racing will indeed go-ahead, with those more pessimistic race fans being able to currently avail themselves of 6/4 against.
The weather forecast for Xmas Eve and Christmas Day suggests little if any snow, but does suggest that temperatures will remain around, or just below zero during the course of the day, and a freezing north-easterly wind could make it feel considerably colder.
A light layer of snow still continues to cover Kempton Park racecourse but Clifford pointed out that on Wednesday, for the first time in many days, he can now see the black frost covers under the snow, suggesting that a thaw of sorts has already set in.
Fingers of betfair horse racing pundits are very firmly crossed that the thaw will continue and racing fans across Britain and beyond will be able to sit down at 3 o’clock on Boxing Day to see the mighty Kauto Star bid to make history in winning the race for the fifth successive year.
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