Racing is in danger of being severely depleted for the remainder of the week as the wet weather continues to play havoc. Only the important Friday-Saturday meeting at Sandown and Friday's all-weather card at Wolverhampton offer realistic hopes of surviving unchanged.
Perth's card tomorrow is already in doubt while the prospects for Saturday are far from rosy at Leicester, Ripon and Sedgefield.
Market Rasen is likely to lose its chases on Saturday but will try to salvage the meeting by staging an all hurdles card.
Fontwell is staging the only racing today after waterlogging claimed both Beverley and Perth.
Ripon was unable to stage racing last Wednesday because of a waterlogged course and a similar story is likely on Saturday. Clerk of the course James Hutchinson already rates prospects as 'less than 50-50'.
Leicester officials are inspecting the track at 9.30 this morning but clerk of the course Nick Lees is pessimistic about the course's chances.
'We have had five and a half inches rain this month - I've never known anything like it. The prospects are not good.'
Officials at Market Rasen are inspecting at noon today but prospects on the chase course are rated as 'bleak'.
Today's abandoned card at Ballinrobe has been transferred to Punchestown on Saturday May 6th.
