Ruby Walsh: Did the stewards take the easy way out with Naas call?

The acting stewards are responsible for enforcing the sport's rules on any given race day. The rules don't accept assumptions from anyone else, so why are the enforcers granted one?

NOTHING TO SEE HERE: Foggy conditions caused the abandonment of last Sunday's Naas meeting. Picture: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Last Sunday, Naas races had one of those really unfortunate days with the weather. A morning inspection was called for 7.30am to assess the extent of Saturday night's frost, and while Sunday morning brought good news on the frost front, it came with a threat of lingering fog. Brendan Sheridan, the clerk of the course at Naas, did what, in my opinion, was the right thing and pushed the inspection back two hours to 9.30am.

The Naas officials gathered again as most of us waited to set off and assessed the situation, which had improved but not enough for a green light, so they decided to look again at 11am.