Sandown is just one racecourse under threat of abandonment as cold weather intensifies.

Cold Snap Leaves Jumps Fixtures Hanging in the Balance

/ 6:20 AM GMT • 3rd January, 2026

3 minutes

Sandown, Wincanton and Cork face race-day inspections as freezing temperatures threaten further abandonments and winter tightens its hold on the jumps calendar.

A prolonged cold snap continues to threaten the jumps programme, with uncertainty stretching across multiple venues as Britain and Ireland brace for another spell of severe winter weather.

Newcastle has already succumbed to the freeze, its jumps card abandoned on Friday after failing inspections at both 8am and midday due to frozen ground. Attention now turns to Saturday’s remaining turf fixtures at Sandown, Wincanton and Cork, all of which face 8am inspections amid yellow snow and ice warnings that have been extended into Monday.

The Met Office has warned the cold conditions are far from over. Neil Armstrong, the organisation’s chief forecaster, said:

"With Arctic air now covering most of the UK, very cold weather will continue through the weekend, with minus double figures overnight in places and daytime temperatures struggling to rise above 0C for some.“It looks like this cold spell could last well into next week and wintry hazards will continue, with more weather warnings likely."

At Sandown, where a seven-race card featuring the £100,000 Veterans’ Chase Final and a Listed mares’ hurdle is scheduled, frost covers have been in place across the entire course since Wednesday. Despite those precautions, temperatures are forecast to dip to -3C overnight. Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said on Friday

:"Even with the frost covers down, we'll have to take stock of things on Saturday morning. We've got a cold night looming with forecasts of -3C, and at least -2C, and a very slow crawl to 2C at most during tomorrow. At -2C we'd be scuppered without the covers and they're giving us a fighting chance."

Meanwhile at Wincanton, preparations continue for a televised meeting that includes three races on ITV, with overnight temperatures expected to fall to around -2C. Clerk of the course Tom Ryall said:"We were 2C overnight and have been fine all week, so there have been no issues today. However, we're forecast -1/-2C overnight into Saturday and have therefore called for an inspection in the morning."

In Ireland, Cork raced on Friday without issue, but overnight frost remains a concern heading into Saturday morning. Clerk of the course Paul Moloney said:

"Following a millimetre of rain overnight and no overnight frost, the ground remains yielding to soft, soft in places."

Back at Sandown, Cooper confirmed that conditions remain finely balanced despite the covers doing their job so far

."We've got a dusting of sleety snow on the covers this morning of about a millimetre, which is starting to shift with the sun up. However, we've still got to get through the night and get the covers off in the morning and we're going to have to lift them in what will be below freezing temperatures."

Wincanton’s team remains cautiously optimistic, having protected vulnerable areas such as take-offs and landings. Ryall added

:"We've covered the vulnerable areas and takeoffs and landings and should survive those temperatures. We're in a good position and just hope the forecast plays ball tonight."

Cork, while less alarmed by the forecast, will still make a final decision after assessing conditions at daybreak. Moloney said:

"The forecast is to remain mainly dry and cold with temperatures dropping to -2C tonight into tomorrow morning. That doesn't give us huge concern but due to the threat of frost, we'll hold an inspection at 8am on Saturday to determine if the fixture can go ahead."

Sandown’s outlook remains the most precarious, with Cooper emphasising how close the margins are:"We've got a fighting chance but we've still got several elements to get through before we're okay."

With Arctic conditions set to persist and more disruption possible into next week, racecourses on both sides of the Irish Sea remain at the mercy of the weather as winter tightens its grip on the jumps season.