Courses are ready for cold spell

Hopes are high Ireland's St Stephen's Day racing programme can escape any impact from the cold weather snap that is forecast to hit the country over the holiday period.

A cold belt is expected to arrive later today and go through tomorrow until Sunday night. However, the authorities at Leopardstown and Limerick are hoping the Met Office is right and it is the north of the country that gets the worst of any snow.

"That's what they are telling us, with only flurries of snow showers maybe coming south near us," said Leopardstown's racing manager Tom Burke yesterday. "No one can be 100 per cent sure but we're keeping our fingers crossed that we will be fine."

Frost is also expected but Burke added: "We have such a good covering of grass here that I can't see frost getting into the ground."

The Limerick manager, Angus Houston, was similarly upbeat and reported: "There is a chance of some snow but we are not unduly concerned. And it would have to be a very hard frost to have an impact. We're just hoping the Met Office is right and the bad stuff stays in the north of the country."