A rare gap in seemingly incessant rain is being filled by freezing conditions that threaten to disrupt this weekend’s jumping action.

Gowran’s Red Mills Chase card on Saturday relies on the track passing an 8am inspection. Temperatures nationally could get as low as -4 overnight. The track was raceable on Friday.

Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board clerk of the course Paddy Graffin is “hopeful” of racing going ahead with temperatures expected to rise quickly in the morning.

Up to 8mm of forecast rainfall mixed in with the freezing conditions means the situation at Punchestown is being monitored in advance of Sunday’s card featuring the €100,000 1xbet Grand National Trial. Fairyhouse was waterlogged on Friday in advance of Monday’s card at the Co Meath track.

In Britain, no problems are anticipated for Saturday’s Grade One action in the Betfair Ascot Chase. However, Wincanton and Haydock will have to pass 8am inspections due to forecast sub-zero overnight temperatures.

It all makes for a rather more gruelling than romantic St Valentine’s Day scenario, although there will be plenty of sentimental feelings if Jonbon can secure a 12th Grade One career victory in the Ascot feature.

JP McManus’s stalwart is odds-on to score at the track where he won the Clarence House last month. Harry Cobden, who takes over as McManus’s number-one jockey next season, had been due to ride Jonbon on that occasion but had to cry off due to injury from an earlier fall. Ironically, Cobden is on probably Jonbon’s biggest danger, Pic D’Orhy, winner of the race for the last two years.

“I’m a bit concerned about the weather, like everyone, as he’s not madly in love with soft ground,” said Jonbon’s trainer Nicky Henderson.

“He’s going up to a proper trip now for the first time, so it’ll be interesting to say the least. The natural progression from here is the Ryanair [Chase, at Cheltenham]. He won the Clarence House last time at Ascot over two, but stamina won the day when it finally kicked in, so I’d be fairly hopeful of him staying.

“He has won over 2½ [miles] at Aintree, but that is a different place altogether,” he added.

Heavy ground at Gowran is famously testing and hardly an ideal prospect for the five-time Grade One winner Impaire Et Passe, who makes a belated start to the season in the Red Mills Chase.

He faces just three opponents, but it’s an intriguing contest where none of the four can be ruled out. Sa Fureur hasn’t run over fences in more than a year, but on figures has a shot at getting the better of Impaire Et Paase and, crucially, he will have no trouble with the conditions.

Storm Heart set a 147-rating standard in the earlier Red Mills Trial Hurdle. His stable companion, Kawamboonga, is much less exposed and hasn’t run in more than a year. However, his maiden hurdle form looks solid and Willie Mullins issued an upbeat bulletin during the week.

Gordon Elliott has won five of the last six National Trials and is due to run six in Sunday’s race. Gavin Cromwell has three hopefuls, and the trainer has put Eoin Staples on The Lovely Man, a winner over hurdles last time and proven on heavy ground.