Thurles have staged their last chase race of the year

  PICTURE: Caroline Norris/racingpostpix.co.uk 

Thurles chase course left bare by harsh winter

THURLES has cancelled the three chases scheduled for Thursday, March 25 as the course they are run on is unfit for racing for the track's final fixture of this term.

Rain, snow and frost have battered the country all winter, forcing the track,  nicknamed Ireland's only all-weather jumps course, to abandon several meetings this season.

Despite getting through less fixtures than usual, the abuse the ground has had from the elements has left the chase course too damaged and officials want to let it begin recovering immediately.

Turf Club spokesman Cliff Noone said: "There isn't a blade of grass on it and there is absolutely no chance of that changing in the next two weeks, so the decision has been taken to finish racing on it and give it the whole summer to recover."

It is likely that one or two of the remaining four races - three hurdles and a bumper - will bedivided to provide a six or seven-race event.