Naas meeting on Sunday set to proceed

Naas manager Tom Ryan reports no problems ahead of their meeting on Sunday.

The seven-race National Hunt meeting features the €50,000 Woodlands 100 Club Leinster National Handicap Chase, while the Grade Three Naas Directors Plate Novice Chase and the Listed Irish Racing Writers Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle head an exciting support card.

Ryan said: "We don't appear to be suffering the same as other courses like Downpatrick and Clonmel, who lost meetings this week.

Drainage programme

“The investment we have made in drainage is paying off now, and we have no problems with our ground for Sunday or with the volumes of rain forecast over the next few days.

“We targeted the chase and hurdle track that we use over the winter in our drainage programme. It’s been a significant investment, between €250,000 and €300,000, but it seems to be working.

“We had over 16 millimetres of rain here on Monday, on top of about 7mm in the few days before that, and another 6mm since Monday.

“The forecast is for another 2mm tomorrow and a heavier band of rain is expected after racing on Sunday, so we’ll be fine.”

Ryan is looking forward to a meeting that has produced a number of top class horses in recent times.

“We have worked on this meeting over the past few years and it promises to be another great card on Sunday,”he added.

"It's produced a number of Grade One horses in recent years with the likes of Flemenstar and Dedigout winning the Grade Three novice chase, while Lord Windermere and Mallowney have won the Listed hurdle,"