Racing:Leopardstown's Hennessy Gold Cup meeting has been rescheduled for next Saturday. The high-profile fixture, featuring four Grade One events, was cancelled today due to waterlogging.
A number of meetings have been switched to facilitate Leopardstown racing at the weekend.
Racecourse manager Tom Burke said: “We are very grateful to the other racecourses for their assistance in these changes and would like to inform all Gowran Park, Fairyhouse and Navan annual badge members that they will be admitted free of charge to Leopardstown on Saturday.”
Speaking earlier about the abandonment, Burke said: “We had another 10 millimetres of rain overnight, and in total we have had 17 millimetres since 3pm yesterday, which is more than we could cope with.”
The four Grade One Races will revert to original entries and fresh forfeits for these races must be made by 12 noon on Tuesday.
Paul Nolan reaffirmed his aim to run last year’s winner Joncol in the rearranged Hennessy.
“We would have preferred if it had gone ahead today and probably everybody is in the same boat,” said the Co Wexford trainer. “Hopefully they will be able to race next week because after that it will probably be too close to Cheltenham for some of the horses.
“It’s not ideal. Real Gold Cup contenders would not want a real slog over three miles before the Festival. I suppose most of them in the race were Gold Cup outsiders but young horses, like Pride Of Dulcote, are open to improvement, but Saturday is tight enough for Cheltenham.
“As far as we are concerned the Hennessy is our Cheltenham for Joncol. That’s our aim for the season with him. Hopefully we can keep him in one piece until Saturday and we’ll get him there as healthy as he was today.”