HORSE RACING: Officials at Clonmel were forced to abandon the last two races on yesterday's card "in the interests of safety". The stewards had received a deputation of senior jockeys complaining about the deteriorating conditions of parts of the track.

Following incessant rain the previous day, the ground was heavy and the second-last hurdle in the fifth race was omitted because of the churned-up ground, before the jockeys went in to air their views and concerns.

Champion Paul Carberry and Ruby Walsh, who had been among the winners earlier in the day, as well as Norman Williamson and David Casey, were particularly concerned about the downhill section of the course, as well as the take-off side of the fences where the ground had been churned-up badly during the five completed events.

After the stewards and the jockeys had gone to the downhill stretch before the home straight, it was quickly announced that the remaining beginners' chase for mares and the bumper would not proceed.

The biggest attendance at the venue in recent years were denied a full card, a decision which did not please everyone. Former jockey and current trainer Sean Treacy was quite prepared to run the anticipated favourite Be My Belle in the upcoming beginners' chase for mares and he was unhappy with the decision.

"To run five races and then say it's dangerous is something I cannot understand. I was happy to run my mare and Paul Carberry was quite prepared to ride her if we had gone ahead."

Carberry later explained that he and his three colleagues were not refusing to ride, rather drawing the attention of the stewards to the fact that they felt the ground was now unsafe. "You would only be asking for trouble if we went back out there because the take-off side of the fences and the downhill run to the straight are desperate."

Highlight of the day was the smooth transition to the larger obstacles of 7 to 2 chance Beef Or Salmon in the featured Morris Oil Chase in which the favourite, Alcapone, came down at the second last, giving in-form jockey Barry Geraghty a nasty tumble.

Sackville, who had just taken over from Alcapone in the lead at that obstacle, led briefly before Carberry, who had been biding his time on the bottom weight, produced Beef Or Salmon full of running to land the €55,000 contest for the fifth time for Limerick trainer Michael Hourigan.

The now-retired Dorans Pride won the Morris Oil promotion for the fourth year in a row for Hourigan two years ago, but missed out on the chance for a fifth victory last season and Beef Or Salmon looks a worthy replacement for that old warrior in the Hourigan yard on this evidence.

Native Upmanship suffered a shock defeat on his comeback at Naas on Saturday when failing to catch the front-running Copernicus in the Woodlands Park 100 Poplar Square Chase. Successful at Aintree last April after finishing runner-up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, Native Upmanship was the 2 to 9 favourite but found little under pressure in the closing stages and was beaten three-quarters of a length by his only serious market rival in the four-horse field.

Paul Carberry had Copernicus jumping well in front all the way with the favourite moving up in the slip-stream turning for home and looking to be going fractionally better.

However, going to the last Conor O'Dwyer began to look anxious. The favourite was untidy at the last and, with Carberry getting a brave response from the 4 to 1 winner, the outcome was always going in favour of the second favourite.

Earlier, the well-backed favourite Le Coudray opened his account in style over the larger obstacles in the EBF Beginners' Chase for leading owner J P McManus and local trainer Christy Roche. Barry Geraghty had the favourite close up throughout, taking over from the runner-up Ricardo going to the second last and eventually coming home nine lengths in front easing up.

"Le Coudray was very good there, jumping great all the way," said Geraghty.

Roche was both relieved and delighted by the smooth success of the 11 to 10 favourite: "After falling in front two-out in Cork it was a relief to see him win that way.

"You will see him racing fairly often now that we have him right and he could either go to England or Fairyhouse next weekend," he said.

The Dermot Weld-trained Irresistible Jewel finished 11th behind Falbrav (Frankie Dettori) in yesterday's Japan Cup at Nakayama.