Drainage work at Leopardstown Drainage work in the back straight at Leopardstown will result in smaller safety limits for runners at their eight Thursday evening fixtures over the next few months. The first of the “Bulmers Live” meetings, featuring music after racing by Sharon Shannon and Damien Dempsey, took place yesterday evening with maximum field sizes of 14 runners in all three handicaps. Leopardstown General Manager Tom Burke explained: “Last year we carried out drainage work from the Foxrock gate (about the mid-point of the back straight) to the approach to the straight, and this year we are continuing that work in the opposite direction to the ten furlong start.” “It is largely work on the chase course and is an area affected when we have had heavy rain in the past. It will probably be the Champion Stakes meeting (September 3) before we get back to our full safety limit. Hopefully we will reap the benefits in future,” added Burke. The normal safety limits at the track are 18 runners for seven furlong races, 20 for a mile and 22 for nine and ten furlong races. Alan Magee
