Salmon bid hinges on weather

Trainer Michael Hourigan is keeping his eye on the weather ahead of Beef Or Salmon’s possible seasonal debut at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The seven-year-old gelding, winner of the Ericsson Chase and the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup last season, is entered for the November Handicap at the weekend.

However, Hourigan is reluctant to run Beef Or Salmon in the Flat event unless the ground is on the soft side.

The going at the track was described as good yesterday with some parts of the track good to yielding and although a maximum inch of rain is forecast during the rest of the week, Hourigan wants more.

He told the Racing Post: “The present good to yielding is only the top of the ground. We need a lot of rain to get it soft enough and unless there is he will not run.

“If, however, the rain did come, then Billy Lee would ride the horse.”

Beef Or Salmon was third in last year’s Leopardstown November Handicap and if he is forced to bypass the race, he may start his campaign in the Clonmel Oil Chase on November 20 instead.