'We've had loads of rain and there's more coming' - wet week at Leopardstown ahead of the Dublin Racing Festival

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Another wet week is in store at Leopardstown ahead of the Dublin Racing Festival next weekend, but the track is currently raceable and no problems are anticipated for the big two-day meeting. 

Peter Roe, head of racing for the tracks owned by HRI, has said the course is in great condition with fresh ground in use for the hurdle track, but he anticipates a further deluge towards the middle of the week. 

Leopardstown has already had 85mm of rain over the last ten days and that has eased the chase track to yielding to soft, while the hurdle course is now soft to heavy. Another 60mm of rain could be on its way to south Dublin before the DRF kicks off on Saturday, so conditions are expected to be testing. 

Roe said: "We've had loads of rain and there's more coming. At least it takes watering out of the equation anyway!

"We have a top-class new clerk in place in Paddy Graffin and the track is in great nick at the moment despite all the rain we've had. We're using the middle line for the hurdles track, which hasn't been used in ages, so it's all fresh ground. The outer and inner tracks were using over Christmas so this will be completely fresh ground. That's soft to heavy at the moment. 

"The chase track is always a bit quicker and that is now yielding to soft following all the rain. There's a nice covering of grass and it walks well."

He added: "It looks like Tuesday and Thursday are going to be very wet next week, but at least we're in a good place at the moment, so hopefully we'll be fine, and we're looking forward to it."

Roe has been impressed with the quality of the entries and believes the decision by Rebecca Curtis to bring over Welsh Grand National winner Haiti Couleurs adds extra spice to the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup. 

"The entries look great and we're going to have some seriously competitive racing," Roe said. "Fair play to Rebecca for having a go with Haiti Couleurs. That is going to be some race with Galopin Des Champs and all those top-class chasers."

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