The Leopardstown, Limerick and Down Royal tracks are gearing up for their traditional St Stephen's Day holiday fixtures, but this year's Christmas racing looks like taking place on the most unseasonal ground conditions seen for a long time.
Good ground at Leopardstown for the four days of the Dublin course's prestigious meeting is forecast, while the other tracks also report remarkable conditions for the time of year.
That spells bad news for mudlarks like the top two-mile chaser Nickname, whose trainer, Martin Brassil, is hoping conditions might yet turn in order for his horse to try to repeat his triumph of last year in the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase next Thursday.
Nickname is one of 11 names remaining in the race after yesterday's forfeit stage, and Brassil reported: "I've only seen the forecast up to the weekend so we'll have to wait and see. He'll only run if it's all right for him. He wouldn't mind yielding to soft, like he won on last year."
Unfortunately for Nickname fans, that doesn't look like happening despite the horse being installed a 5 to 6 favourite with the big-race sponsors. A dry spell continues to confound usual patterns for the time of year.
"We're good to yielding at the moment, and while the Met office are forecasting bits of rain after Friday, they're also saying it will be dry and cold after that, and up through Christmas," said Leopardstown manager Tom Burke.
"It's totally different to anything I've experienced in my 20 years here. I'd say if it keeps up like this we won't be too far off good ground."
A similar story was outlined by Limerick manager Angus Houston, who reported that the going for St Stephen's Day could be good to yielding.
"This will be my seventh Christmas here and we've never run on anything else but heavy. But right now we are yielding, with yielding to soft in a few places," Houston said.
"The most remarkable thing is that we are getting no morning dews which normally maintain a lot of moisture in the ground. For the last while you can walk across the track here and not get your shoes wet," he added.
Ground conditions at Down Royal are described as "good to yielding".
Such conditions might not suit mud-lovers, but it can also work the other way, and the prospect of decent ground has almost persuaded British trainer Evan Williams to run his former Hennessy winner, State Of Play, against Denman and The Listener in Leopardstown's Day Three highlight, the Lexus Chase.
State Of Play is also in Saturday's BGC Silver Cup at Ascot, but Williams reported yesterday: "I'm still inclined to run in the Lexus which has always been the plan for him. It's probably madness going there to take on Denman and The Listener, but drying ground is in our favour and probably against them."
Leopardstown's St Stephen's Day feature will be the Grade One Durkan New Homes Novice Chase, for which 13 were declared yesterday, including the Fortria winner French Accordion, who also holds an entry in the following day's Dial-A-Bet.
As expected, Edward O'Grady's Drinmore winner Sky's The Limit is among the 13, and the grey's potential opposition includes the former SunAlliance Hurdle winner Nicanor and Tommy Stack's Perce Rock, who made an impressive, winning chasing debut at Navan.
On the same day there are potentially 17 runners in the big juvenile hurdle, including Noel Meade's The Ethiopian, who won a maiden at Galway in the summer for Aidan O'Brien. The Ethiopian is also a full brother to the double Derby and double Breeders' Cup winner High Chaparral.
Benefit Night is a 10 to 1 favourite for tomorrow week's €190,000 Paddy Power Chase, although the hugely valuable Christmas handicap, which still has 50 remaining in it, could also be influenced by the Leopardstown surface.
Prince Of Tara is a 14 to 1 shot to add the Paddy Power to his list of victories, but may yet face a switch to Cheltenham's New Year meeting. "He wants soft ground so it all depends on the weather," said trainer Steve Mahon. "It's a case of the softer the better and I will play it down to the end before deciding."
Hardy Eustace remains on course for Saturday's Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, where he will be joined by his fellow-Irish raider Sonnyanjoe.
Paddy Power Chase:10 Benefit Night, 12 Gazza's Girl, 14 O'Muircheartaigh, Prince Of Tara, Chelsea Harbour, Hear The Echo, Mattock Ranger, Newbay Prop, Sea Diva, Well Tutored, 16 Bar.
