Today's race card at Punchestown has been cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
With 20mm of rain overnight and persistent rain this morning, the decision was made to call off the meeting, which has been rescheduled for Monday, 24 February.
"Following extremely heavy downpours overnight, which brought more rain than was forecast, unfortunately parts of the track at Punchestown are now unfit for racing due to waterlogging," Brendan Sheridan, IHRB Clerk of the Course at Punchestown said.
"With parts of the track unfit for racing and the rain continuing throughout the morning we unfortunately have no option but to cancel the fixture scheduled for today."
Meanwhile, Horse Racing Ireland has announced that the European Pattern Committee (EPC) has approved the upgrade of the Golden Fleece Stakes for two-year-olds at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Festival in mid-September to Group 1 status for 2026. The distance of the race will increase from eight furlongs to nine furlongs.
The EPC also sanctioned a new two-year-old Listed opportunity in 2025 over eight furlongs at Naas in early-July which will be known as the Pat Smullen Stakes, in which horses will receive similar allowances to those in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series.
