Leopardstown get new date Horse Racing Ireland has announced that the Leopardstown Meeting which was due to be held on Sunday 8th February but was cancelled today due to snow will now take place on Sunday, 15th February, 2009. Fresh entries for this meeting must be made by 12 noon on Tuesday 10th February while the three Grade One races (Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, Deloitte Novice Hurdle and the Dr P.J. Moriarty Novice Steeplechase) revert back to original entries with fresh forfeits/supplementary entries also to be made by 12 noon on Tuesday 10th February. Declarations to run must be made by 10am on Friday 13th February. The rescheduling of Leopardstown for Sunday 15th February has been facilitated by the Navan meeting originally scheduled for that day now being transferred to Monday 16th February. Entries for this meeting will now close by 12 noon on Wednesday 11th February with declarations to run to be made by 10am on Sunday 15th February. Commenting on the new dates, Jason Morris, HRI Director of Racing said: - "It is obviously vitally important to retain Leopardstown's Hennessy Gold Cup meeting on a day when the maximum possible crowd can attend. Leopardstown manager Tom Burke and Navan manager Darren Lawlor have worked closely together to ensure that both of these great racing fixtures go ahead, to the benefit of the racing public and the industry as a whole." Michael O'Rourke, Chief Executive of HRI Racecourses, welcomed the news: - "It is a relief to have secured a new date for the Hennessy Gold Cup, a race which promises to be one of the most keenly-contested renewals ever, along with its very strong supporting card. Navan's Ladbroke.com Boyne hurdle, one of three graded races on the day, forms the centre-piece of a first-class national hunt fixture at Navan and we are grateful to all the sponsors for their assistance in facilitating these moves, particularly the switch of Navan to the following day (Monday 16th February). Leopardstown will be offering free admission to all Navan members next Sunday."
