RACING NEWS ROUND-UP:OFFICIALS AT Punchestown are doing their utmost to beat the wet weather and stage their two-day meeting this weekend. Yesterday the course was heavy but raceable, and the next 24 hours are crucial with more rain forecast.
Using fresh ground and switching races round are two of the measures being put into operation at the Co Kildare venue.
“It has been a wet month, the ground is heavy. We are raceable,” said racecourse manager Richie Galway. “We had 12 millimetres of rain on Wednesday night. We’ve had another five today and we are forecast to get up to 10 millimetres in all today.
“There is also the possibility of an additional 20 tomorrow and Saturday. The forecast for Sunday is better. It’s the next 24 hours that will tell us a lot.
“We’ve taken some measures to try to maximise our ability to race. We have moved the two chases from Saturday’s card. We’ve moved one into Sunday and cancelled the second one, so our Saturday seven-race programme consists of five hurdle races, one bumper and a cross country chase.
“Sunday’s card is now four chases, two hurdles and one bumper race.
“We have fresh ground both days on the hurdle track. We just didn’t have that ability to do that on the chase course, hence we tried to put all the chases on the one day.
“It is possible we might have to call an inspection on Saturday but we are doing what we can to stage both days of the meeting.”
Willie Mullins is one of the many trainers keeping a close eye on weather updates as he prepares to give Hurricane Fly his first run of the winter campaign in the Grade One Dobbins and Madigans at Punchestown Hurdle on Sunday.
The five-year-old is favourite for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham after signing off last spring with an impressive victory in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
“We’re happy with him, but it will be interesting to see what they call the going after today’s rain,” said the Co Carlow handler.
“We will have to see how he copes with this ground after all the rain we’ve been having, but he’s ready to run.”
Meanwhile, Mullins’ top-class staying hurdler Fiveforthree has been ruled out for the season. The seven-year-old grey, winner of the 2008 Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and Punchestown’s World Series Hurdle in April, has not made sufficient progress following a setback at the end of last season.
However, Mullins remains confident Fiveforthree will return to action next term, when he will go novice chasing.
“We just decided not to go any further. We were hoping he would make it back for the second half of the season,” said Mullins.
“Every other year he seems to come back, but he just hasn’t taken his training well. There is no further damage or injury. We have just decided it would be prudent not to continue.”
A maximum field of 20 will go to post for tomorrow’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, headed by 2005 winner Our Vic.
David Pipe’s veteran ran only three times last season, but had won the Ryanair Chase the season before, as well as beating Kauto Star at Aintree.
Stablemate I’m So Lucky will also represent Pond House.
Paul Nicholls has declared all three of his entries, Tatenen, Poquelin and Chapoturgeon, who will be ridden by Timmy Murphy.
Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has a great record in the race, runs Knowhere and Ballyfitz, while Tom George will be looking for a better performance from Tartak after his disappointing show at Aintree.
Irish hopes rest on the heavily-backed Tranquil Sea from Edward O’Grady’s yard and Tony Martin’s Kerry National winner Northern Alliance.
Alan King’s Tarotino, Nicky Henderson’s My Petra and Andy Turnell’s Bible Lord are also there.
Howard Johnson’s Akilak was taken out at the 48-hour stage, enabling Keith Goldsworthy’s Hold Em to gain a place in the line-up.
- Following a course inspection at Clonmel yesterday morning, the course was found to be unfit for racing due to waterlogging and the meeting was cancelled.
- There will be a 7.30am course inspection at Cork on Sunday ahead of that afternoon's fixture due to the bad weather.
