Sunday morning inspections for all three fixtures

Image © Healy Racing

Precautionary inspections have been announced for all three of of Sunday’s fixtures at Tinahely, Kildorrery and Lisronagh.

Met Éireann status yellow wind and rain warnings are due to come into effect at 2am on Sunday morning and remain valid until 3pm that afternoon, and include Wicklow and Cork, two of the county's due to stage racing that day.

The going at Tinahely was found to be Soft when inspected on Friday afternoon. However, there is significant rainfall forecast on Sunday morning, ahead of what is the rescheduled Bray Harriers fixture in Fairwood Park.

“At present [Friday afternoon], the track has some casual water on it following the extremely heavy rainfall last night and this morning,” IHRB Course Inspector Pat Kelly said.

“There is a dry forecast this evening, and mainly dry forecast for tomorrow, but unfortunately we have a very bad forecast for Sunday morning with wind and rain in excess of 15mm, maybe 20mm of rain coming in Sunday morning.”

It is a similar situation at Lisronagh where the going is described as Soft to Heavy.

“The weather forecast going forward is to be dry today [Friday] and tomorrow [Saturday], with a band of rain coming through Saturday night into Sunday morning which could bring 15-20mm of rain. For that reason there will be an 8am inspection,” IHRB Course Inspector Niall Madden said.

Soft to Heavy was also the going at Kildorrery when inspected on Friday.

"There is casual standing water lying on parts of the track after heavy rain last night," IHRB Course Inspector James Carroll said.

"The forecast going forward is to be dry for rest of the evening [Friday], dry all day tomorrow, but there is a band of rain to come in late Saturday night, early Sunday morning, with the chance of 15-20mm of rain."