Thurles confident of being fit to race

RACING NEWS: RACING COULD finally return to Thurles tomorrow and the course management is confident the course will pass a 3pm inspection today.

The card originally scheduled for Thursday was cancelled again yesterday morning but weather conditions are finally expected to relent this weekend.

“The fog here didn’t lift at all on Thursday which meant there was no improvement in conditions and we couldn’t be confident about racing going ahead on Saturday,” manager Pierce Molony said yesterday.

“But there will be no problems with the hurdles course for Sunday. What is concerning us now is the chase course for Monday. We will have a look at that as well,” he added.

The eight-runner novice hurdle is the highlight for the Sunday card and the form of Shinrock Paddy’s Grade One Navan success will be tested by the runner-up that day, Rhyl Accord.

Willie Mullins’s runner started favourite against Shinrock Paddy and his edge on experience over Thegreatjohnbrowne could be crucial.

Rhyl Accord’s jockey Paul Townend also teams up with Charles Byrnes in the opening juvenile hurdle where Sounds Of Jupiter can reverse Limerick form with Are You The One.