Punchestown forced to check

Tomorrow's high-profile meeting at Punchestown will have to pass a 7.30am precautionary inspection if it is to go ahead as scheduled.

Although conditions at the Irish venue are currently raceable, 12 millimetres of rain overnight means the ground is currently described as heavy and there is more rain on the way.

The Irish Turf Club’s press officer Cliff Noone said: “They are raceable at the moment but they are expecting another 10 to 15 millimetres of rain through the day today.

“The ground is heavy after the rain last night, so we will just have to see how much more there is over the next 24 hours.”