The opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival is subject to a 2:30 PM inspection on Friday due to recent heavy rainfall. The course was initially deemed unraceable on Tuesday due to standing water, particularly on the back straight.
Ground staff worked to drain the affected areas, and conditions had begun to improve. However, an additional 22mm of rain fell between thursday and Friday morning, bringing the total rainfall over the past two weeks to 193mm. This has rendered portions of the hurdle track unsuitable for racing.
Forecasters predict a further 10-20mm of rain on Friday, prompting officials to schedule the inspection. The chase track is currently described as soft to heavy.
The Dublin Racing Festival is scheduled to continue on Saturday and Sunday, with coverage beginning at 1:00 PM on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
