The Ladbroke Hurdle looks certain to go ahead as scheduled at Leopardstown tomorrow after the course was passed fit for racing at an inspection yesterday afternoon.
Torrential rain earlier in the week had put the fixture in grave doubt, before drying conditions on Wednesday offered hope that the £75,000 event could go ahead.
A precautionary inspection by the stewards was planned for 4 p.m. yesterday, and shortly afterwards, the sponsor's Mike Dillon was a relieved man. "It is all systems go," he said.
"The course has been passed fit for racing and no further inspection is planned unless there is a really serious deterioration in conditions. The ground is heavy but there is a very favourable weather forecast.
"After the scare earlier in the week, the weather has improved dramatically, and the chairman of the stewards was pleasantly surprised at the state of the ground.
"It is a very resilient racetrack - it bounces back very quickly from adverse weather conditions and the dry day yesterday tipped the balance in our favour."
Tom Burke, racecourse manager at track, was also grateful the weather had relented to spare one of the venue's most popular meetings of the year, also featuring the Grade Two Pierse Leopardstown Handicap Chase.
"It would have been a huge loss - I couldn't even contemplate it," he said.
Sunday's meeting at Navan still hinges on an inspection at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Both the fixture's chases have already been lost, and the remaining hurdle races will be divided to provide a six-race card should the track be deemed raceable.
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