Thurles the best hope of resumption this week
Thurles is scheduled to hold two meetings, on Thursday and Friday, but whether the thaw will take hold in time to see a resumption on Thursday remains to be seen.
Speaking yesterday afternoon Thurles owner and manager, Pierce Molony, said: “We had our first snow here on Sunday, all day, and there is an inch and a half lying on the course at the moment.
“We are still frozen and though the temperature is now 4 degrees it has not had any real effect on the track as yet.
“We had no frost this morning and none is forecast for the rest of the week. We are also promised a lot of rain and, I think, that can only be a good thing.
“I’d be a little pessimistic about Thursday, but more hopeful regarding Friday. If we don’t race on Thursday then we would hope to start on Friday and to also race on Saturday.”
There are six contests on Thursday’s programme, consisting of five over hurdles and a bumper.
The colts and geldings maiden hurdle has attracted an entry of 57, but the most interesting heat would appear to be the two miles and six furlongs novice hurdle.
This sees Rhyl Acord and Thegreatjohnbrowne among the entries.
Rhyl Accord won his maiden here and was then the medium of particularly positive reports prior to the Grade 1 Barry and Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan last month.
Willie Mullins’ eight-year-old was hugely disappointing, though, going under by 15 lengths to the impressive Shinrock Paddy and will now be on a retrieving mission.
Thegreatjohnbrowne, reportedly highly-regarded by Noel Meade, will be seeking a hat-trick, having won a bumper at Naas and a maiden hurdle at Navan.
Friday’s card at Thurles will be made up of six races over fences, the feature being the Grade 3 Beamish Stout Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase.
Naas on Saturday appears to be long odds against racing, there was six inches of snow on the track yesterday, and it could well be that Thurles will slot in instead.
Naas manager, Tom Ryan, said: “I’m no more optimistic today than I was on Sunday and we are likely to make a decision on Wednesday or Thursday.
“The snow is thawing, but the meeting has to be in a lot of doubt. We need all the snow gone by Wednesday and a couple of dry days after that to have any chance.”
Cork is due to race on Sunday and it is a case of keeping a watching brief as far as that meeting is concerned.
Manager, Michael O’Neill, said yesterday: “There was four inches of snow on the track on Sunday night.
“My biggest worry is when the snow melts and goes into the river. We really won’t know the true situation until Wednesday or Thursday. We do, however, have fresh ground and that will stand to us.”
Fairyhouse too are set to race on Sunday with manager, Caroline Grey, reporting: “There is still some snow on the track and it is frozen solid in places.
“An inch of rain is forecast, we’ll keep monitoring, but it’s not looking great, if the forecast is correct.’
There has been no racing in Ireland since Cork on January 2, last Saturday week.
