Going updates & Huntingdon off Christmas for racing fans arrives on St Stephen’s Day with three Irish meetings plus a host of action across the Irish Sea highlighted by the King George VI Chase at Kempton. The first of four days racing at Leopardstown gets underway on Thursday and the going at the south Co. Dublin venue is currently soft, yielding in places, on the hurdle course and yielding on the chase course. There is a small risk of showers tomorrow morning and the possibility of up to 10mm on Thursday morning. The Grade One Racing Post Novice Chase is the feature at Leopardstown, and there is also a top level highlight at Limerick with a number of star names likely to line-up in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Chase. The ground at Greenmount Park remains heavy following 6mm of rain in the past 48 hours. There is the risk of a further 8mm in the next few days. The going at Down Royal is currently yielding, yielding to soft in places. The forecast is mainly dry until Wednesday with the risk of showers thereafter. Huntingdon has become the first casualty of a busy St Stephen’s Day with the meeting called off due to flood damage to the stables, weighing room and other public areas at the track. Parts of the venue were left under water following overnight flooding on Saturday, prompting clerk of the course Jack Pryor to call an inspection for 8am this morning. While the track itself has improved, there is not sufficient time to repair the facilities before racing. Pryor said: “Although the track has made significant progress in the last 48 hours, there’s flood damage to the stables, weighing room and other public areas which we won’t be able to rectify in time for racing. “We’ve made an early decision as it’s such a busy time and will hopefully allow connections to declare at other meetings.”
