Ground eases at Limerick and Leopardstown

THE need for watering at Leopardstown appeared to recede following a wet night on Tuesday which saw 18mls of rain fall on the Dublin track. Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said on Wednesday morning: “It’s yielding on the chase course, and yielding to soft on the hurdle track we are using for the first two days. It’s soft on the inside tracks for days three and four. There is the potential for another five to 10mls of rain before racing starts and the forecast is unsettled thereafter.”

The ground is heavy at Limerick where clerk Val O’Connell reported 20mls of rain fell on Tuesday night. “We’re in a good place. The forecast for the next two days is dry, a little bit of frost, and then unsettled and changeable from St Stephen’s Day on. We have fresh ground on the hurdle track every day, and a fresh chase course for the last two days of the meeting.”

Kempton is “good to soft, good in places”. Clerk of the course Barney Clifford said: “If we get the forecasted rain we will end up good to soft, soft in places.” Chepstow clerk Libby O’Flaherty is predicting “heavy Chepstow ground” for the Welsh National on Sunday.

Loders sell Eyrefield Lodge Stud

EYREFIELD Lodge Stud on the Curragh has gone ‘sale agreed’. Owned by Sir Edmund and Lady Sue Loder, the 160-acre farm went on the market in late June with a price tag of €4 million. There are 55 stables and the main residence covers 5,000 square feet and is in very good condition.

Romanised to stud in France

THE 2018 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Romanised has been retired to stud in France. He will stand at Haras du Bouquetot, close to Deauville, which is home to eight other stallions, all of which raced for Al Shaqab. Romanised’s fee has been set at €7,000.

Trained by Ken Condon for Hong Kong-based owner Robert Ng, Romanised won first time out as a two-year-old and finished second to subsequent Derby winner Masar in the Group 3 Solario Stakes.

He added to his Curragh classic success with another Group 1 victory in the 2019 edition of the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville. A third Group 1 success evaded him by only a nose as he lost out to Circus Maximus in the Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp the same season.

Romanised also won the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh this season and last year. A son of Holy Roman Emperor out of an Indian Ridge mare, Romanised was bred by Mrs Monica Aherne.

Ferny Hollow sidelined

LAST season’s Champion Bumper hero Ferny Hollow is likely to miss the Cheltenham Festival due to injury. Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: “It’s really frustrating. We’re still not really sure what the problem is, but it looks like a stress fracture behind.

“It’s a shame. He’ll probably miss Cheltenham and we’ll hopefully know more in a couple of weeks’ time on whether we might get him back for Punchestown.”

Breeder of the Month

THE Aga Khan has won the Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month competition for November. He bred Tarnawa, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Kilkenny equine vet suspended

EQUINE veterinary surgeon Tim Brennan has begun a two-month suspension handed down by the Veterinary Council over the discovery of prohibited medicines in his possession in 2015. Brennan had previously appeared in Kilkenny District Court over the matter and, though admitting to the offence, he was not convicted of a crime and the judge described the offence as “undoubtedly at the lower end of the scale”.

However, the Veterinary Council found Brennan guilty of professional misconduct “at the higher end of the spectrum” and asked the High Court to confirm the application for the suspension of Brennan’s veterinary licence.

The substances found in Brennan’s possession were Catosal, Hemo 15 and quinidine suplhate. At the time Brennan described the medicines to The Irish Field as “two bottles of vitamin injections and a bottle of tablets for atrial [heart] fibrillation.”

Racing writer mourned THE death has taken place of Ann McMillan (nee McDermott). Ann has a long history of writing which included work for the sadly defunct Irish Horseman and the British Racehorse, later the European Racehorse. She also made contributions to The Irish Field. She lived in Kilcullen and was predeceased by her husband Matthew. Her funeral mass takes place today, Thursday 24th, and will be streamed on the Naas parish website. Messages for the family may be left on irishtimes.com, condolences section.