RACING: A 9 a.m. inspection today is likely to determine the fate of tomorrow's Leopardstown fixture, but already there are contingency plans being drawn up to reschedule the final day of the 2004 flat season if the track fails to get the green light.
A deluge described as "horrific" by the Leopardstown authorities left the south Dublin course waterlogged yesterday after 35mm of rain fell overnight.
"There has to be a doubt," conceded Leopardstown's racing manager Tom Burke yesterday. "The weather we've had has been horrific. If it started to dry up we would have a chance, but the forecast for Friday night is not great either. There are showers forecast for Saturday and dry weather on Sunday, but we're starting so early at 12.45 that there isn't much time for things to dry out."
It is possible the decision whether to race will put back to tomorrow morning.
If conditions do ease enough to allow racing, Jamie Spencer is due to return from the Breeders' Cup to cap off his championship-winning first term as first jockey at Ballydoyle. His rides include the Navan winner Yehudi for Aidan O'Brien in the Listed Eyrefield Stakes, and the highly-touted Gypsy King in the opening seven-furlong maiden.
The handicap feature is the Leopardstown November which sees last Monday's course winner, Al Eile, raised a stone to second topweight behind the Cesarewitch winner Essex. With the accent on stamina, however, it may pay to rely on the staying hurdler Rosaker, who comfortably scored on the level at Galway last weekend.
Another Galway winner, Riverboatman, has been raised 12lb for the concluding handicap but still looks a force.
Finally, the Wexford meetings cancelled last weekend have been refixed for Friday, November 12th, and Friday, November 26th.
