Dublin Racing Festival Contingency Plan Announced Ahead of Inspection

Horse Racing Ireland has announced a contingency plan for the Dublin Racing Festival scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2024. The key event hinges on an early morning inspection at Leopardstown, where conditions have been challenging due to heavy rainfall.

Leopardstown officials confirmed the track was fit for racing as of Friday, despite receiving approximately 193 mm of rain in the past two weeks. Given the forecast of an additional 10-20 mm of rain overnight, a further evaluation will take place at 08:00 on Saturday morning. This inspection will determine whether the festival can commence as planned.

In a proactive measure, Horse Racing Ireland outlined a contingency plan that would shift Saturday’s entire card to Bank Holiday Monday, February 2, if the track does not meet racing standards after the morning inspection. The organization stated:

“Following an inspection earlier today, the course at Leopardstown was found to be fit for racing. However, with the possibility of 10-20mm of rain forecast for tonight, there will be a further inspection of the course tomorrow at 08:00 to determine whether this meeting can go ahead as scheduled. If the course is unfit for racing after Saturday morning’s inspection, the following contingency plan will apply: Leopardstown’s Saturday meeting will transfer to this Bank Holiday Monday, February 2, and original declarations will stand.”

The festival’s anticipated highlight is the bid of Galopin Des Champs, trained by Willie Mullins, to secure his fourth consecutive victory in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup. This achievement would place him alongside Florida Pearl as the only horse to win the event four times.

Saturday’s opening day is expected to attract a sold-out crowd of 20,000 attendees, while limited tickets are still available for the second day of the festival, which features the prestigious Irish Champion Hurdle.

As the situation develops, racing enthusiasts will be keenly watching the weather updates and the results of the early inspection. For continuous updates, fans are encouraged to subscribe to the racing newsletter for the latest news and insights from top events.