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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Racing goes ahead at Punchestown and Cork

Sun 8th Dec 2019, 09:28

                Racing at Punchestown Racing at Punchestown
© Photo Healy Racing

It’s a blustery and showery morning across the country but racing has been given the go ahead at both Punchestown and Cork.

With wind warnings in place for Sunday, there had been concern that the high-profile meetings might be under threat, but the decision has been taken to proceed at both venues.

There hasn’t been much change since yesterday as regards ground conditions, although a showery morning and afternoon is anticipated.

Punchestown’s John Durkan Memorial Chase card, with Min bidding to repeat last year’s victory, sees racing get underway at 12.20pm with the feature contest at 1.50.

The going, despite 6mm of overnight rain, remains yielding to soft on the hurdle and bumper track, and yielding to soft, soft in places on the chase track.

According to a tweet from Punchestown Racecourse, Met Eireann’s latest update has predicted that the strongest winds of the day are predicted to arrive post-racing.

At Cork, racing starts at 12.35pm and the featured Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase is due off at 2.35.

The racecourse tweeted a short time ago that it was, thus far, a calm morning with no strong winds.

There is, however, an Orange wind warning due to come into effect from 1pm, with possible 40 to 50 km winds.

The going there is soft, yielding to soft in places on the hurdle track, and yielding to soft, soft in places on the chase track.

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.