Irish racing this weekend

[Grasshopper]

Navan inspect today to see if they can go ahead tomorrow.

Both Sunday cards at Cork and Punchestown are subject to inspections on Saturday afternoon, to see if they can go ahead. The latter track is considering an option to move the card to Tuesday, if they can't go ahead on Sunday.

Have to hope all three cards go ahead, as there are some quality horses scheduled to race. The racing is vastly superior to anything on offer in the UK this weekend.

 

[granger]

Fingers crossed indeed. There may be family who will use the racing being off as a reason to meet me

 

[viking]

Not looking good for Punchestown

From the RP

The fixture, which could feature the return of Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1, is in serious doubt with more temperatures below freezing forecast on Friday and Saturday night

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[granger]

Navan and Cork are much more optimistic

 

[Grasshopper]

Navan off.

 

[granger]

Navan off.

basterds

 

[edgt]

Weather came worse than expected last night.
Tonight will tell all as frost thawed by now today (near Mallow at least)

 

[granger]

Ireland generally is not as frost ready as the UK

As a plus we will get 2 good midweek fixtures but were some lovely horses that I wanted to see this weekend

 

[granger]

How is it in Cork ed?

Weekends without racing feel like May to September without the sun

 

[edgt]

They seem hopeful but with an 8am inspection tonight would not to be as cold as last night.
Was called out to a calving and boy was it bitter !

 

[Grasshopper]

Cork on.

 

[Len Madeiros]

This horse has an interesting profile in the last at Cork today. I’m struggling to see how he is the 2/1 favourite in a 23-runner handicap, tbh. But then I’ve noticed who trains him.

 

[trefflich]

This horse has an interesting profile in the last at Cork today. I’m struggling to see how he is the 2/1 favourite in a 23-runner handicap, tbh. But then I’ve noticed who trains him.

Interesting indeed...McNallyesque!!

 

[edgt]

Lucky to race in Cork today.
Between Andrew Hogan's last day as manager and Val O'Connell's last day as Clerk Of Course they were never not going to race.
All day fog prevented any proper thaw so they apparently drove around the track with tractors towing industrial heaters to put the colour into the grass.
As last night's frost wasn't too severe they were raceable.
Three top performances in the graded races made it all worthwhile .
Cork is an ideal venue for a proper two mile chase, pan flat, fences well spaced with a decent straight; when I were a lad the 2 mile races began at the 5 furlong chute so some speed was built up early, so long as you had the horses to match.

 

[granger]

It is a much nicer course than I remembered

 

[Grasshopper]

Punchestown's John Durkan card has been saved, and will be run a week today on Monday 19th December.

Entries will close on Wednesday, and decs made on Saturday at 10am.

 

[granger]

Punchestown's John Durkan card has been saved, and will be run a week today on Monday 19th December.

Entries will close on Wednesday, and decs made on Saturday at 10am.

Ap art of m thought, we could see Galopin rerouted to Kempton but this scuppers that

 

[Grasshopper]

Ap art of m thought, we could see Galopin rerouted to Kempton but this scuppers that

Galopin was taken out the KG at the last forfeit stage anyway, PJ.

 

[Desert Orchid]

Simon Rowlands looks back at last week's racing in Ireland:

Sectional Spotlight | At The Races

 

[granger]

Simon Rowlands looks back at last week's racing in Ireland:

Sectional Spotlight | At The Races

Very Good read.

Even if you don't agree with Rowlands, he makes all his arguments without ego and in a non_complex mode so all levels can understand