There will be a 7.0 a.m. inspection to see if the already depleted Punchestown card can go ahead today.
An early-morning inspection yesterday found that the steeplechase course was unraceable and the Harristown Maiden Hurdle has been divided to create the prospect of a six-race card.
omens, however, do not look good. The last four New Year's Eve programmes have not gone ahead at Punchestown. Last year it was because of the re-building work at the course, the year before because of snow and the two years before were cancelled because of frost.
Yesterday's drying winds helped the track to dry out somewhat, but the forecast overnight rain may put paid to the fixture yet again.
"If the forecast rain comes, we could be rightly jinxed, but we will only know for certain in the morning," said a spokesperson yesterday.
One trainer who will be hoping for the green light is Francis Flood, who looks to have reasonable prospects of taking both divisions of the maiden hurdle.
The second division looks marginally the weakest and gives Our Meg a perfect opportunity to break her duck over flights. Our Meg ran a fine race to be third to Roses Of Picardy and Old Trafford over two and a half miles here 25 days ago, and on the basis of that looked a good bet to win at Thurles next time out over a half mile less.
Things looked to be going according to plan until the last when she was challenged by Beeper's Gale and went down by a length and a half. It was disappointing at the time, but she should put things right today if given the opportunity.
Flood's Super Aisling picked up some hurdling experience last winter and that could be to her advantage against Mini Sensation, third in the Beeper's Gale race in the first division. If she can also repeat her Leopardstown bumper-winning form, then she will be a hard nut to crack.
Darbela, a very impressive winner over Mariners Reef at Leopardstown on Saturday, goes again in the Dunlavin Handicap Hurdle. She showed a fine turn of foot at Leopardstown but now has a quarter mile further to travel on much more testing ground. It may be unwise to take too short a price about her and preference is for Three Rivers, disappointing at Navan but runner-up to Marchaway here previously and now 6lb better off.
The opener is the opportunity handicap, and Savu Sea is selected ahead of Kamactay in the belief that a last race effort at Navan was too bad to be true.
The INH Maiden Hurdle is a tricky little contest, where Budalus, More Than A Stroll and possibly Little Buckie can be given good chances. Preference is for More Than A Stroll, third to Its Time For A Win at Navan last time, who can give Conor O'Dwyer another welcome winner; while Willie Mullins's Khal Dante is the selection in the bumper.
