Horse Racing: Fairyhouse Sunday fixture might fall victim to the weather
The horse racing events that were scheduled to take place on Saturday were postponed by Fairyhouse connections in agreement with Horse Racing Ireland, in order to save the Sunday card. The Sunday fixture was particularly important because it was to feature
Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, Drinmore Novice Chase and Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
Now that the Saturday fixture will be taking place on Thursday, the 2nd of December, chances of the Sunday contests to take place also seem very bleak according to the weather forecast for the area. The freezing weather conditions at the County
Meath track are hitting temperatures as low as -2 degree Celcius. To make matters worse, heavy snowfall also hit the area on Friday night.
When the media approached the manager of Fairyhouse, Peter Roe for updates on the current scenario at the track, he was reported as saying, “There are cars abandoned on the road near the track, so bad did conditions get.”
He further added, “We are monitoring things very closely and will call an official inspection early today (Saturday), but I’d say there is a little chance racing will go ahead.”
“On the plus side, the frost didn’t really get into the ground, and it is not expected to be any worse overnight. We will not be in a rush to make a hasty decision and will be giving it every chance of going ahead.”
Leicester has also abandoned its event due to harsh weather conditions, and has recently been joined by Carlisle due to both snow as well as frost. After an inspection that was carried out at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning, it was announced, to the disappointment
of racing fans that the Sunday fixture in Carlisle will not be taking place.
Andrew Tulloch, the clerk of the course told correspondents this morning, “It got dwon to -5 ½ degree Celcius last night and with the inch of snow on the track unfortunately it wasn’t a difficult decision to make, with the forecast no better for the next
week. It is supposed to get to -6 or -7 degree Celcius tonight.”
After the cancellation of both the jumping events, the National Hunt fixtures, the fans of the hurdle sport in the United Kingdom were relying on the meets that were going to take place at Fairyhouse. Now that the Fairyhouse Sunday card is also in serious
doubt, those involved in the horse business are expected to divert their attention to the Japan Cup and other graded stakes that will be taking place in the United States on Sunday the 28th of November.
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