Hardy Eustace is not a certain starter in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park tomorrow.

Connections of the dual Smurfit Champion Hurdle winner had hoped their gelding would get back on track at the weekend after he finished last in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle last month.

However, the nine-year-old's participation in the two-mile event is in doubt after trainer Dessie Hughes expressed his concern yesterday about Hardy Eustace's current well-being.

"I honestly feel he's about 90 per cent at the moment, he definitely isn't 100 per cent," said the Co Kildare handler.

"We'd be very anxious to run him on Saturday because we'd like to stick to the same path as last year; he would probably need a race too.

"But at the same time, I'd just like to see him a bit better.

"I'm going to speak to (owner) Laurence Byrne in the morning and see if we declare him or not.

"We'd have our reservations. I've been quite happy with him to a point but horses have to be 100 per cent."

If Hardy Eustace does line up in the Grade Two feature at Gowran, he will not be wearing the blinkers that helped him to victory at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.

"We'll wait for the Champion Hurdle (before blinkers are applied again)," Hughes added.

"This race (the Red Mills) doesn't mean an awful lot to us - it's just a stepping-stone."

Meanwhile, yesterday's Clonmel meeting was abandoned after just three races following two nasty incidents in the second division of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.

Two horses slipped up independently during the race, but tragically, the second, The Adare Man, was in front when suffering a broken leg and was put down, with the race at his mercy.

Earlier in the race, Rest My Case slipped up on a stretch of ground half a furlong further away and brought down two other runners, City Hall and Academy Jo.

Following the race, a delegation of jockeys, including senior jockeys Conor O'Dwyer, Barry Geraghty and David Casey, met with the stewards and the meeting was abandoned in the interests of safety. The race itself went to Paul Nolan's The Roney Man under John Cullen.

The opening Clonmel Mares Novice Hurdle went to John Murphy's Shouette, gaining an overdue win, under David Casey. The well-bred daughter of Sadler's Wells tracked leader Drumbug before progressing to lead before two out, staying on for a nine-length win over Tiarella.

Murphy said: "She was a little weak but is going the right direction now and stays well. I put in a new one-mile uphill gallop last year and it has been a great addition to my facilities."

Tony Mullins's Bye Day landed divison one of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle under Paul Carberry. Mullins was absent but was represented by assistant Peter Daly who said: "He stays well and loves that heavy ground but we always thought he was more of a chasing type."