Fences take flak at Fairyhouse

Racing: The new Fairyhouse fences continued to be panned by the jockeys riding yesterday but it will be after the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National meeting at Easter before major alterations to the obstacles will get under way.

Criticism of the fences on Saturday resulted in extensive remedial work before yesterday's meeting but that didn't prevent flak from the jockeys' room.

"It's a joke," declared Conor O'Dwyer, who finished last of the finishers on Tiger Cry in the Drinmore Chase. "My horse is almost unconcious because he killed himself trying to jump around."

He added: "It's better than Saturday, and they've done their best, but the fences will have to be rectified. It's show-jumping stuff out there."

Almost 50,000 was spent in work on the fences which began in July and ended only on Friday.

"We take on board the jockeys views that they are too stiff and in hindsight they might be. But we have done our best and horses falling are not what we are about," said the Fairyhouse manager Dick Sheil.

"We will talk to the jockeys and do some work on the fences like reshaping or thinning the birch. But we cannot do a big job because work would destroy the ground and we cannot do anything about the shaping of the frames. That cannot take place until after Easter," he added.

There were no fallers in the two chases run yesterday. One horse was pulled up in the handicap chase and one other, Gayle Abated, in the Drinmore.