Overview
- Leopardstown was confirmed fit for racing on Wednesday after groundstaff pumped away standing water, with the chase track soft and the hurdles course soft to heavy in places.
- Course officials reported roughly 170mm of rain over 12 days, including about 58–60mm in 24 hours, which left parts of the back straight under water before the recovery effort.
- Forecasts now indicate 35–40mm of additional rain before Saturday, up from earlier estimates, and officials remain watchful despite confidence the two-day festival will proceed.
- Sandown’s Saturday meeting passed an inspection on Thursday, restoring its original hurdles races and scrapping provisional chase replacements, though a further check remains possible if rain intensifies.
- Recent weather forced cancellations at Limerick, Leicester, and Exeter, with inspections and contingency planning used across Britain and Ireland to manage race-day safety.