APRIL MIGHT be about to begin but “freak” weather conditions could yet impact on Fairyhouse’s Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National festival with the track forecast to be covered in snow today.
Up to 10cms of snow is expected to hit Fairyhouse, which on top of an inch of rain yesterday, and further showers predicted for tomorrow, represents a fresh headache for the track authorities after a winter already interrupted by bad weather conditions.
The Grand National festival is due to start on Sunday with the €250,000 National set to be run on its traditional Easter Monday date.
“All we can do is hope the worst will be over by the end of the first half of this week,” said Fairyhouse’s manager, Caroline Gray yesterday. “We were soft here earlier in the morning and it is getting softer all the time.”
She added: “The forecast is pretty bad. We are told we could get up to an inch of rain today and up to 10cms of snow tomorrow. It will be bitterly cold and there are more showers forecast for Wednesday.
“If it does improve after that, and we are told it is supposed to pick up, then there shouldn’t be any issue about racing and we are hoping that is the case. . .”
Saddlers Storm is an 8 to 1 ante-post favourite for the Irish National but his trainer Tony Martin has yet to definitely nominate Fairyhouse as the gelding’s target.
“We will give him a bit of work on Thursday or Friday and if he comes through that alright we will probably go to Fairyhouse,” said Martin yesterday. “But we haven’t made a final decision yet. There is the Scottish National to consider and Punchestown too. We will make a decision later in the week.”
Saddlers Storm has won his last three starts, including at Navan last time out, and Martin added: “He’s a big horse who seems to be coming of age now and is really improving. Ground doesn’t matter a whole lot to him. He has won on heavy and it wasn’t too bad the last day.”
The local trainer was a National winner with David’s Lad in 2001 but three of the last six winners of the big race have been trained in Britain. The final make-up of this year’s overseas challenge is as yet uncertain with Ferdy Murphy nominating the Scottish National as a more likely target for his Cheltenham winner Poker Di Sivola.
Sunday’s Grade One feature at Fairyhouse will be the €100,000 Powers Gold Cup and Tony Martin is aiming his former high-class handicap hurdler Psycho at the race despite having had just two starts over fences to date.
Psycho was impressive in the second of them at Clonmel and the trainer said yesterday: “He might not have a lot of experience over fences but he has also run in a couple of point to points and has been around a few different tracks so hopefully he will be all right.”
The current bad weather could claim an early victim this morning as Gowran Park has an 8.30am inspection today ahead of tomorrow’s scheduled fixture.
