IHRB responds to Listowel watering controversy after heated row with Shark Hanlon over ground conditions

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Shark Hanlon's criticism of Listowel for over-watering has been rebutted by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), and the regulator insisted that just 2mm of irrigation was put on the straight before racing on Monday.

Hanlon was fined after a heated argument with IHRB clerk of the course Paul Moloney, having taken issue with the track watering on Sunday evening. He said after leaving the stewards' room that they put on "6-7mm on the ground when 11mm was forecast".

Prior to the start of Listowel's three-day meeting on Saturday, the track watered the jumps course in the lead up and the ground was described as good the day before racing kicked off. It was good to yielding after 3mm of rain on raceday and was changed to yielding during racing on Saturday.

Following 4mm of rain and a dry night, it was good to yielding on Sunday, and the track monitored the situation regarding watering. After another 4mm that evening, it was described as yielding, yielding to soft in places on the hurdles track on Monday.

Hanlon, who had two runners over hurdles on the card, was involved in an interaction with Moloney after the 2m handicap hurdle, in which the trainer's Mo Ghille Mar finished seventh at odds of 5-1.

According to the stewards' report, Hanlon became irate over the ground conditions and apologised after accepting he had been abusive towards Moloney. He was fined €250 as a result.

Shark Hanlon was fined €250Credit: Patrick McCann

Hanlon said after leaving the stewards' room: "We’re in the summer. We should be getting summer ground and the ground there down the back is soft and nearly heavy. We’re trying to run summer horses in that ground. In England, they're able to get it right every time. In Ireland some of the tracks are good, but where Paul Moloney is involved there’s no good ground.

"I had a good chat with the stewards. I told them why I was giving out. I told them why and I told them it was a disgrace. It took me four hours to come down here to come down to soft ground. Four days ago this ground was good to firm. It couldn’t go from good to firm to what it is now with what rain has fallen."

Three days prior to day one of racing at Listowel, the ground was described as good, good to firm in places with watering ongoing. A spokesperson for the IHRB said that 2mm of irrigation was put on the last two furlongs of the hurdle track on Sunday evening due to a change in forecast.

The IHRB spokesperson said: "On Sunday morning, 6-8mm of rain was forecast for Monday. After racing on Sunday, as would be normal for a multi-day meeting, the clerk of the course walked the track and liaised with Met Eireann. The forecast had changed to 1-3mm of rain, 1mm on Monday morning and 2mm more during racing. 

"At that point, the decision was made to put 2mm of irrigation on the hurdle track for the last two furlongs and 3-4mm on the chase track from 60 yards before the open ditch to the tower just beyond the winning post. They ended getting 4mm overnight, which was slightly more than forecast on Sunday evening."

Read more:

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Why the Epsom ground is likely to be softer than advertised 

Who will benefit from Epsom's deluge in the Derby and Oaks - and who won't? 

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