HUNTINGDON officials remain hopeful their meeting tomorrow can become the first jumps meeting to take place since Plumpton on January 3.

An inspection will be held at 8am today to assess the prospects, with a ‘‘slow thaw’’ now in action.

‘‘We’ve got lucky in that we’ve avoided the worst of the snow, but our area of concern is frost,’’ said clerk of the course Andrew Morris.

‘‘There is a slow thaw in process, but the temperatures are struggling to rise.

‘‘We remain hopeful, but we need to know where we stand by tomorrow morning. By Thursday afternoon it is due to warm up considerably.’’ Tomorrow’s other jumps meeting at Musselburgh remains in doubt with an inspection also called for 8am today.

However, with milder weather forecast the prospects are better for Saturday’s provisional fixture.

Saturday’s other provisional meeting at Fontwell has been abandoned due to heavy snow, as has the scheduled fixture at Warwick.

Kempton’s National Hunt card on Saturday is subject to a further inspection at 3pm this afternoon.

There are plans to stage a replacement all-weather bumper fixture at the track – which could see a hot of high-profile runners – but all is not yet lost for the jumps card.

Wetherby’s fixture on Saturday still hangs in the balance in light of a mixed forecast.

A thaw had set in at the West Yorkshire venue earlier in the week but there is the possibility of more snow and frost.

‘‘We’ve still got snow on the track.

From a distance it doesn’t look, bad but when you get on to it there is still an inch,’’ said clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson.

‘‘We are in a better state than we were at the weekend, but areas such as the parade ring still need clearing.

‘‘We’ll give it every chance and if it means inspecting on Saturday morning, that is what we’ll do.’’ All-weather tracks have kept racing ticking over, although that has not been without its problems.

Lingfield’s fixture yesterday was lost due to snow and today’s meeting depends on a 6.30am precautionary inspection.

Wolverhampton have also called a 6.30am inspection ahead of today’s twilight fixture.

The track is raceable, but because there is snow around, clerk of the course Fergus Cameron feels it best to have a look in the morning.

In Ireland, tomorrow’s all-chase meeting at Thurles has been cancelled after today’s all-hurdle card was abandoned on Tuesday.

They have already been rescheduled, with today’s programme moving to Saturday and tomorrow’s going to Monday.

■ Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty recorded a short-priced treble at Southwell as National Hunt racing was fleetingly awoken from its snowstricken slumber.

Although seven bumper heats on the all-weather hardly represented a blockbuster draw – there were arguably more horses in attendance than punters – this fixture, the first of its kind, emerged a white knight for embattled jumps trainers.

With turf racing locked in the freezer since Plumpton shivered into action on January 3, Southwell’s dogged perseverance has been universally saluted.

Henderson has been one of the most ardent supporters of the milestone project and were rewarded with victories for Anquetta, Benartic and Dort Tranquille.

Henderson reflected: ‘‘It’s been a very good day and all three of our winners will now go hurdling.

‘‘If they put another of these meetings on, and we’ve got the horses to run here, then I’d look at coming back. ‘‘The horses are doing nothing at home so we may as well get them on the track to learn something.’’ Brackloon High (2-1 favourite) clearly relished competing on the slow-riding Fibresand to claim the finale on what was a significant afternoon for a sport brought to its knees by the cruellest of winters.