Ireland’s 2021 flat season will finish at Naas on Sunday – weather permitting.
Officials admit ‘Mother Nature’ will ultimately decide if racing can go ahead – and this season’s champions crowned – after a deluge of rain at the track in recent days.
Ground conditions are raceable although heavy at the moment with the situation being monitored due to more rain forecast overnight on Saturday.
“If the forecast is correct I’m hopeful we will be OK but you know forecasts: I think we will be OK but Mother Nature will decide,” the Naas manager Eamonn McEvoy said on Friday.
Should the weather play ball it will still be a damp end of season celebration to a campaign that sees Colin Keane crowned champion jockey for a third time with a record tally of winners.
Aidan O’Brien is champion trainer for a 24th time while Dylan Browne McMonagle is the year’s top apprentice jockey.
With the all-weather continuing through the winter at Dundalk, not to mention Monday’s action on the beach at Laytown, the flat is hardly coming to a halt.
There is also next week’s international action in Australia and at the Breeders Cup in Del Mar.
Keane can look forward to defending the $4 million Turf crown on Tarnawa for Dermot Weld and his sole ride for the Curragh trainer on Sunday looks a leading player too.
Wuqood returned to action with a second to Georgeville at Leopardstown earlier this month and the regally bred colt should be hard to beat in a conditions event.
Sunday’s feature is the €80,000 White Bookmakers November Handicap where Weld has engaged the new champion apprentice for Coltor.
First time blinkers are applied to the four-year-old who had first-time cheekpieces on when landing the big amateur event at the Galway festival on soft ground.
A return to two miles should assist him as will Browne McMonagle’s claim.
Sweet Molly Malone belied 66-1 odds on her last run over course and distance and very testing ground conditions could be the key to this half sister to Bracelet and Athena.
