Thurles falls foul of weather

RACING: Despite some early upbeat bulletins, yesterday's Thurles card ultimately fell victim to the weather just hours before the scheduled start.

Some of the horses that were intended runners at the meeting, including the Grand National fancy David's Lad, were on the road when the fixture was finally called off at about 10 a.m.

That followed an original 7 a.m. inspection which resulted in another inspection which in turn caused a final call to be officially made at 9.45 a.m.

The meeting, which featured Native Upmanship and David's Lad in the Grade Two Kinloch Brae Chase, has been postponed to Sunday with fresh declarations this morning.

It was after 10 a.m. before many racegoers received word of the final inspection on the Turf Club's text service.

The Thurles manager Pierce Molony explained: "Temperatures got down to minus seven during the night but the Met Office told me they would be up to six degrees by noon.

"We looked at the course again at eight and postponed a decision but by 9.15 the sun had come up and things looked good.

"The problem was that at 9.30 it clouded over again and the Met Office started telling us it might reach three degrees by 1.0. When they started revising like that we had to change our minds damn rapidly.

"Some people are said to be upset by the upbeat messages we gave out before then but we wanted to race if at all possible and things changed only very late on."

David's Lad's trainer Tony Martin, travelling from Co Meath, said: "We were in Tullamore when the thing was called off. It's a nuisance getting the horse ready, pulling him out and then not being able to race but what can one do. It's annoying but you have to feel sorry for poor old Thurles too."

Martin is considering running David's Lad in the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday instead of the Kinloch Brae but Arthur Moore confirmed the Grade Two is still the aim for Native Upmanship.

Co Limerick-based Michael Hourigan had a large team ready for yesterday but said: "It's hard for Thurles because they just wanted to do all they could do to race. It's a pity because it's a wonderful day now."

The transfer of the Thurles card to Sunday has annoyed some stable staff who had planned to attend Saturday night's inaugural stable staff awards dinner in Co Kildare. There is also racing at Punchestown on Sunday.