Racing:Officials at Fairyhouse will take another look at 8am ahead of tomorrow's meeting after the course remained unfit for racing. Members of the Turf Club took a look at the frost-hit surface at 4pm but Peter Roe, racecourse manager of the Co Meath track, said all is not lost yet ahead of the seven-race card.
“It was very frustrating but basically the temperature did not get to what we expected,” Roe said. “We’ll have a look in the morning and we did not want to pull it tonight as the temperatures are due to rise.
“We are looking at it rising to 5C at around midnight with some rain, which should definitely help. If the forecast is right, we will be able to race.”
Sunday’s meeting a Punchestown, which features the higly anticipated clash of two mile rivals Big Zeb and Sizing Europe, is set to go ahead as planned after covers were laid on the track earlier in the week.
“The covers are down and have been since Tuesday,” explained Punchestown racing manager Richie Galway. “It’s a labour intensive initiative but if it is the difference between racing going ahead or being abandoned it is well worth the effort.
“The hurdle and chase tracks are currently raceable and we are confident, based on the forecast, that there won’t be any problems for Sunday. The cross country track is run over such an expanse it is not feasible to cover it. At present there are a small number of areas that are unraceable, however, if the milder temperatures arrive as forecast and given that we have moved the race to late in the day we are very hopeful.”
A number of racing fixtures across the Irish Sea have already fallen foul of the weather with Sandown, set to feature the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, the highest-profile casualty of the recent freeze.
Former champion hurdler Binocular was also due to appear at the Esher venue but despite the course covering up earlier in the week, the frost was so keen it even crept underneath the fleece. An inspection was called at 8am and clerk of the course Andrew Cooper did not waste time in calling the meeting off.
Wetherby’s meeting tomorrow, where RSA Chase hopefuls go on trial in the Towton Novices’ Chase, also hangs in the balance. A 3pm inspection has been called with hopes pinned on temperatures rising throughout the afternoon and a milder night than forecast occurring.