News and previews: An 8 a.m. inspection is scheduled this morning ahead of today's meeting at Kempton. The Sunbury venue survived a similar check yesterday, but with another frost forecast, officials will take a precautionary look.
"We have had the same sort of forecast for tonight as we had last night, with the possibility of temperatures going down to minus three," said clerk of the course Brian Clifford said yesterday.
"The temperatures are due to rise from mid-day onwards and hopefully we should be fine again, but we are always slightly more vulnerable on the second day because the condition of the track is less good.
"We are bringing in additional staff tonight to bring the track back to as good a condition as we can get it. The most vulnerable areas will be sheeted over again and I'm as hopeful as I can be."
If racing goes ahead punters can cheer themselves with Europa in the Stan James Handicap Chase.
A change of scene seems to have worked wonders with this eight-year-old as at the end of last season he looked to be very much a fading star.
Despite an inauspicious start at Aintree in October, Europa has justified trainer Ferdy Murphy's decision to take him on with a string of good runs.
A win at Kempton last month sent Europa's confidence soaring and although he was subsequently a little disappointing when third at Newbury, he more than made up for it last time out.
Europa ran an absolute cracker to finish a seven-length third to Monkerhostin in the bonusprint.com Gold Cup - and he may well have been second had he not been hampered by Our Vic's fall at the last. This trip is ideal and the in-form Murphy looks to have found him another winning opportunity.
Made In Japan can bounce back from a Sandown defeat by taking the Stan James Wayward Lad Novices' Chase. The four-year-old, who took the Triumph Hurdle last season, was an easy winner of a weak race on his chasing debut but found it much harder going when stepped up in class last time.
Made In Japan was beaten 10 lengths by Contraband in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase but he didn't seem to handle the tacky ground that day too well and he was very slow away from his fences.
Philip Hobbs' charge also had to shoulder a penalty and those factors probably combined for his defeat. He can regain the winning thread with conditions set to be more favourable today.
Judged on his superb run in the Tingle Creek Chase, Well Chief will take all the beating in the Grade Two skybet.com Castleford Chase at Wetherby. The five-year-old was involved in one of the most thrilling races of the year when just being shaded into third place by Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop at Sandown in a driving finish.
Well Chief went into that race rated some 20lb behind Azertyuiop but he was only beaten by a short head after sitting in behind for most of the race. He is undoubtedly the one they all have to beat.
Woody Valentine should play a leading role in the skybetvegas.com Introductory Juvenile Novices' Hurdle. A three-time winner on the Flat when with Mark Johnston, the Woodman gelding impressed when making a winning start over timber for Venetia Williams at Warwick earlier this month.
Officials at Wetherby and Huntingdon have also called precautionary inspections for 7.30 this morning. Frost is threatening the West Yorkshire track, which is due to stage the Grade Two skybet.com Castleford Chase.
