THURLES will race on Sunday having passed a 7.30am inspection. However, Navan's meeting today has been cancelled as parts of the track remain frozen. A tweet from Navan Racecourse read: "Following an inspection, today's meeting has been cancelled due to the track remaining frozen in areas and there will not be a sufficient thaw before race-time."

The going at Thurles is described as yielding and the day is expected to be generally dry, with temperatures as high as 10C.

Sunday's point-to-points at Tattersalls in Co Meath and Boulta in Co Cork also go ahead, both having passed 8am precautionary inspections.

The only British meeting on Sunday is Wolverhampton on the Tapeta.

There was no racing in Ireland or Britain on Saturday following the cancellation on Saturday morning of the all-weather cards at Lingfield and Chelmsford. Turf meetings at Fairyhouse, Ascot, Haydock and Newcastle had already been cancelled due to frozen tracks.

The Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, due to be run at Ascot on Saturday, has been added to the Kempton card on December 26th.

Irish racing will have a much busier week than planned in the lead-up to Christmas. Punchestown is due to stage its rescheduled Grade 1 John Durkan card on Monday and officials have expressed confidence the meeting will go ahead.

Naas plans to race on Tuesday, having lost its Thursday slot this week. Naas has called a precautionary inspection for 10am on Monday. If racing goes ahead at Naas, the card will include the Grade 2 Tote Navan Novice Hurdle as an eighth race with original declarations to stand.

Fairyhouse will race on Wednesday, a meeting to replace the Saturday meeting it lost. Added to the Fairyhouse card as an eighth race is the NavanRacecourse.ie Rated Novice Chase. This race will revert back to entries at weights stage and will close for fresh declarations, along with the rest of the Fairyhouse card, by 10am on Monday.

Dundalk also race next Wednesday, as planned.

Finally, as the Grade B Bective Stud Tea Rooms Handicap Hurdle was unable to be held at Navan this wekeend, the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) due to be held at Leopardstown on Wednesday, December 28th, will now have a value of €50,000 (up from €30,000).

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CHRISTMAS is just over a week away and racing fans will be hoping that temperatures rise just a little to ensure that the festive fare on the track is uninterrupted.

There was good news from Leopardstown on Friday with the Co Dublin track confirming that its racing surface was “frost free” and raceable.

The ground was described as “yielding, good to yielding in places” on the hurdles course and “good to yielding, yielding in places” on the chase track.

Although some rain is forecast for Leopardstown on Sunday and Monday, the chase track will be watered today [Saturday] and “will continue as necessary through next week.”

WHAT'S ON AND WHAT'S OFF

Saturday

Lingfield AW: cancelled following 9.30am inspection

Chelmsford AW: cancelled following 10.30am inspection

Ascot, Newcastle, Haydock & Fairyhouse cancelled

Sunday

Navan: OFF

Thurles: ON

Wolverhampton AW: no problems expected

Fakenham cancelled

Monday

Punchestown: Grade 1 John Durkan meeting. Not fully raceable on Saturday but officials confident it will go ahead.

Lingfield AW on

Chelmsford AW on

Musselburgh cancelled

Tuesday

Naas: moved from last Thursday

Ludlow on

Plumpton on

Southwell AW on

Newcastle AW on

Wednesday

Fairyhouse: moved from today

Dundalk AW on

Lingfield (jumps) on

Taunton on

Wolverhampton AW on