Testing ground for the Christmas meetings With the weather remaining unsettled, the going is sure to be testing at the upcoming Christmas Festival meetings. The latest going report from Leopardstown describes conditions as soft, heavy in places, with the four-day meeting getting underway on it's traditional date of St Stephen's Day (December 26). The south Co. Dublin venue had a further 5mm of rain overnight. Limerick also host their Festival meeting from December 26 to 29, and the ground remains heavy. Down Royal make it three Irish meetings on St Stephen's Day, and the latest going report at the northern track is heavy (soft in places) following 15mm of rain overnight. Punchestown will use the inside straight on the hurdle course, finishing on the main straight, for their meeting on New Year's Eve. The going is currently soft, heavy in places.