No way the DRF will ever be run on any sort of quick surface again

It is interesting to contrast the influence last year’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown had on Cheltenham, compared to this year’s renewal. The two-day Dublin Racing Festival takes place in early February and is nicely positioned to give our horses the perfect preparation for Cheltenham in mid-March. But, of course, the extraordinary dry winter we experienced turned so much on its head, with horses having to race on surfaces that were far faster than ideal. And there is no doubt the big casualty was the Dublin Racing Festival. On the lead-in to the meeting Gigginstown’s, Eddie O’Leary, pleaded for decent ground.

Said O’Leary: “We need, as an industry, safe ground, or else you risk bursting up your Cheltenham horses. These are Cheltenham preps and we need a safe surface. You have to guarantee it - Cheltenham would. I am hoping to God soft will appear somewhere (in the ground description).’’