Leopardstown meeting put back to Sunday

Racing : Leopardstown's Irish Champion Stakes fixture has been postponed until Sunday after waterlogging claimed today 'scard…

Racing: Leopardstown's Irish Champion Stakes fixture has been postponed until Sunday after waterlogging claimed today 'scard.

The track was due to feature an absorbing rematch between Vodafone Derby hero New Approach and Duke Of Marmalade in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes.

But saturated conditions left course officials with no option but to abandon.

The Champion Stakes meeting is now scheduled to be staged on Sunday on an eight-race card, which is subject to a 7.30am precautionary inspection.

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"We nearly made it over the line today but we've had to call off the meeting," said Leopardstown general manager Tom Burke.

"We had over 6mm of rain last night, but the forecast is not too bad and the rain should have cleared by mid-morning.

"We have called a precautionary inspection, but we would be optimistic at this stage."

Today's meeting at Haydock, featuring the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup, has also been abandoned.

Officials moved forward a scheduled 7am inspection due to the extreme nature of the waterlogging at the Merseyside venue.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: "We have had 35mm of rain inside the last 24 hours, including two heavy cloud-bursts during the night.

"We got here early this morning and it was obvious that it was a lost cause."

Of the prospect of rearranging the Sprint Cup, Tellwright added: "The British Horseracing Authority are currently on the case."

Next week Doncaster stage the three-day Ladbrokes St Leger Festival, which could be supplemented by a rearranged version of the Sprint Cup.

Haydock managing director Dickon White said: "We have been in conversation with the BHA and Betfred and will hopefully be able to get the race on some time at Doncaster.

"It's a fantastic race, we want it to be raced, so fingers crossed we can do so."