Leopardstown Confident on Dublin Racing Festival Despite Flooding

Leopardstown Racecourse officials in Dublin expressed confidence Tuesday that the Dublin Racing Festival will proceed as scheduled this weekend, despite significant waterlogging from Storm Chandra that has left parts of the track under up to six inches of standing water.

The two-day jumps meeting, set for Saturday and Sunday, serves as Ireland's premier pre-Cheltenham Festival event and draws crowds of around 35,000. Heavy rainfall totaling 58 millimeters in the past 24 hours and 165 millimeters over the last 12 days has rendered sections of the course, particularly the chase track, currently unraceable. Video footage from the venue showed submerged fences along the back straight and large flooded areas on the left-handed circuit.

Mark Clayton, the racecourse's new chief executive, inspected the grounds and emphasized the improving outlook. "The storm is pretty much blowing through now, and we're confident given the forecast we will be racing both days, which is amazing given the volume of rain," Clayton said. He noted that Monday alone brought 60 millimeters, far exceeding initial predictions of 45 millimeters over two days, but added, "Of course we have to remain cautious, but...