John Durkan card in major doubt with Punchestown unraceable due to severe frost

Freezing overnight temperatures in Ireland mean Cork and Punchestown will inspect at midday on Saturday for their Sunday cards, which is due to feature the returns of Champion Chase hero Energumene in the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase (2.20 Cork) and Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.00 Punchestown).

Punchestown is considering restaging the seven-race card on Tuesday if the weather claims its meeting, with Met Éireann (Irish Met Office) predicting temperatures to drop to -3C overnight into Sunday.

Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said: "Following overnight snow and severe frost, Punchestown is unraceable. With the forecast remaining cold for the next few days and severe frost each night we will have an official inspection at 12pm on Saturday in advance of racing on Sunday."

Racing manager Richie Galway had said on Thursday: "We’re taking every precaution we can. We’ve covered the vulnerable areas and are making sure the chase and hurdle tracks are entirely fresh.

“We’re conscious of the strength of the John Durkan and we’ll review the situation in the morning. We’ve had a brief discussion on a potential restaging but the John Durkan will have to be run quickly in advance of the Christmas calendar. Tuesday might be an option."

Energumene: set to reappear at Cork on SundayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Contingency plans have not yet been discussed in the event racing at Cork is cancelled, according to the course's general manager Andrew Hogan. He said: “We’d have to meet with the HRI fixtures committee if it were cancelled, but we’re hopeful of running on Sunday."

Clerk of the course Val O’Connell said: “The ground is yielding to soft, soft in places. The track has a great covering of grass and we'll have fresh ground on both the hurdle and chase tracks and have covers down on both the takeoff and landing side of the fences."

Frozen ground has forced Navan to cancel its seven-race card on Saturday, which would have featured the Grade 3 Klairon Davis Novice Chase.

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