Cloudburst brings Tipperary to premature end
The surface was firm and when it rained it changed everything, producing ground that was slippery and particularly dangerous.
Four horses slipped up and one of them, Samasakhan, fractured a leg and had to be put down.
Minella Leisure fell and fractured a shoulder and also had to be put down. Ken Whelan, who rode Minella Leisure, was removed to Cashel Hospital with concussion and stood down for 21 days.
Victory went to Dans Dealer, who edged ahead between the last two fences for Gary Hutchinson to beat Central Billing.
The stewards consulted with riders, Ruby Walsh and Hutchinson, and clerk of the course, Lorcan Wyer, to discuss whether racing should continue. It was an open and shut case.
Jim Culloty, now riding as a freelance and who is likely to spend plenty of time in Ireland in the future, gave Cash And Carry a dashing drive to take the Ramada Worldwide Chase.
Edward O'Grady's charge, who never scored over flights, was making his debut over fences and popped up here at 10-1.
Culloty has been partnering a few for O'Grady and this was his third recent success for the Ballynonty handler.
The winner made most of the running, but Dalian Dawn appeared to have his measure heading to the last.
Cash And Carry was much quicker over the obstacle, however, and was well in control on the level to score by two lengths.
Said Culloty: "It's quick ground and a quick track and there was no point in not taking prisoners."
Favourite Kelly's Craft, who jumped superbly in the main at Ballinrobe previously, hardly got across any fence properly here and was beaten three out.
John Oxx's Sogno Verde landed some decent wagers with a seven lengths victory in the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Fillies Maiden.
She was taken from a little 7-4 to 4-5 and there was never any real doubt about the outcome.
Fran Berry, riding out of his skin, had the daughter of Green Desert in front after about a furlong, from the worst possible draw.
She lengthened away from over three furlongs out and the final margin in no way flattered her.
Said Oxx: "She's small, but hardy. I doubt this will affect her mark and she will now go for a handicap."
Berry remains proudly at the top of the jockeys' championship and this was his 40th of the season.
Aidan O'Brien's newcomer Dylan Thomas, a strapping son of Danehill, was long odds-on in the morning for the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Maiden, but very uneasy in the market on course.
He drifted to as high as 5-4, before finding some support back to evens. Dylan Thomas did his job well enough to score by a length.
Kieren Fallon drove him into the lead with less than two furlongs to run and didn't have to be overly hard on the colt in the closing stages.
Fallon, fresh from eight winners at the Curragh over the weekend, now has 29 to his credit for the campaign, eleven adrift of Berry.
Con Collins, who hasn't enjoyed the best of luck so far this season, had a welcome turn when Mainly Mine took the Summer Sunday on July 10th Handicap.
The six-year-old had been running on heavy ground, but showed her appreciation of this faster surface, sweeping through on the outside with less than a furlong to run to beat the flattering Oversighted.
Dermot Weld's Caheerloch was an absentee from the Ballykisteen Race and this left Kevin Prendergast's Adaala with a simple task.
Taken from 2-5 to 2-7, she eased past Legs Lawlor over a furlong down to score unextended by three lengths.
