'Safety has to take precedence' - track manager defends decision to abandon
Punchestown manager Conor O'Neill said the decision to abandon the biggest day at the track away from the April festival after just three races was made with the safety of horses and jockeys in mind.
Thick fog from the early hours of Sunday morning meant the entire fixture was in doubt, but after inspections at 10am and again at noon, clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan gave the green light for the seven-race card to go ahead.
After winning the opening race on Power Of Pause, rider David Mullins said: "It's fine, I could see perfectly. I've ridden in much worse fog than that before."
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inReports
Last updated
- Hereford: 'He's going great guns' - another winner for in-form Freddie Gordon as Mister Upton impresses
- Hexham: 'The horses seem to run well here' - Forest Blaze bolsters Mark Walford's impressive track record
- Fontwell: 'It's the game I love and there's nothing like it' - Henrietta Knight enjoys first jumps winner since 2015
- Uttoxeter: emotional victory for connections as Jingko Blue makes perfect start to chasing career with emphatic win
- Punchestown: 'It's a great start' - Dancing City cut to 6-1 for the Brown Advisory after successful chasing debut
- Hereford: 'He's going great guns' - another winner for in-form Freddie Gordon as Mister Upton impresses
- Hexham: 'The horses seem to run well here' - Forest Blaze bolsters Mark Walford's impressive track record
- Fontwell: 'It's the game I love and there's nothing like it' - Henrietta Knight enjoys first jumps winner since 2015
- Uttoxeter: emotional victory for connections as Jingko Blue makes perfect start to chasing career with emphatic win
- Punchestown: 'It's a great start' - Dancing City cut to 6-1 for the Brown Advisory after successful chasing debut