The often turbulent relationship between the Turf Club and the Irish Horseracing Authority has bubbled to the surface again following the switch of an "abandoned" race to Galway tomorrow.

The £25,000 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Novice Chase, scheduled for today, was officially declared abandoned on Thursday due to the state of the Tipperary track. However, after the IHA's Matt Mitchell, the race sponsor JP McManus and Galway racecourse agreed to run the race at the western venue, the Turf Club was left fuming at the late notice.

Turf Club chief executive Cahir O'Sullivan found out about the switch only yesterday morning and said the declarations department was put to the pin of its collar to contact the trainers of the horses in the race and then rearrange the race programmes.

"They did a marvellous job in very difficult circumstances but I am not pleased with the short notice," O'Sullivan said. "I knew nothing about this switch until 8.05 in the morning and between then and 10 everything had to be rearranged on one of the busiest days of the year for us.

"We may have made some people happy but we have certainly lost a lot of good will elsewhere. The whole thing was not properly planned and has turned out very messy."

Mitchell was delighted that the race was saved and complimented the Turf Club on its flexible response to the initiative. He also rejected claims of late notice.

"I contacted Iwo O'Sullivan, the senior steward of the National Hunt Committee, on Thursday night and he had no problem with the race going ahead at Galway. The race had been abandoned in the context of Tipperary but while the easiest thing would have been to do nothing, a good race which has stood up well will now be run," Mitchell said.

Cahir O'Sullivan said: "What was the senior steward of the National Hunt Committee supposed to do about such a proposal at 10.30 at night? I was not told about this until 8.05 the following morning, which was much too late."