RAIN SODDEN PUNTERS ARE STARVED OF ACTION

The weather and injuries have dominated Irish racing to such a degree this week that you could be forgiven for thinking this is a review of Animal Hospital and the Weather Channel, writes Alan Magee.

Limestone Lad has earned a special place in the hearts of jumping fans in recent seasons, and it was a real blow to learn of his mishap. The `Gathabawn Grinder` became entangled in a paddock fence at the Bowe`s farm on Monday, and it is feared he may have damaged back muscles.

The ante-post second favourite for the Stayers Hurdle is a major doubt for the Cheltenham Festival as a result of the incident, although reports from connections were more upbeat later in the week. Scans will be taken in the next few days that should tell the true extent of the damage, and hopefully we will soon see him back in action.

First Gold will not be seen in public again this season after trainer Francois Doumen put the gelding on the easy list due to leg trouble. This is a bitter pill for J P McManus who shelved out a reputed king`s ransom for the French-bred a year ago.

However news of Micko`s Dream was even worse as the Willie Mullins-trained chaser was humanely destroyed after failing to recover from joint and tendon injuries sustained at Clonmel last November. The gelding proved a great money-spinner for his enthusiastic syndicate of prison officers, and his success story is a real spur for the `ordinary man in the street` to become involved in racehorse ownership.

The fears around the start of this year that water shortages would be a problem in the summer have been well and truly set aside in recent weeks. Wet and windy seems to be the only words on weather forecasters lips, and Punchestown lost it`s two day weekend meeting as the beleaguered board at the Co. Kildare track headed for the lifeboats!

The current trend towards reality television, or docu-soaps, have plenty of ammunition for a new series with events at `the home of Irish National Hunt racing`. The problems experienced with the racing surface in the past few years have been well documented, and Punchestown refuses to stay out of the headlines with apparently never ending boardroom wrangles.

The high profile ousting of chairman James Osbourne and director Dermot Cox last November may soon be followed by the departure of further board members Mary Moore and David Cornwall. All this infighting can do little to lift the track out of a precarious financial position. The revamped Punchestown is undoubtedly the flagship for jump racing on our island with first class facilities for both horses and racegoers, and surely everyone involved can pull together to secure the future of the venue.

Thurles was the sole fixture to survive the monsoon conditions this week, and Native Upmanship appreciated the mud to land the featured Kinloch Brae Chase. Arthur Moore`s charge deserves a crack at the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but his shrewd handler is well aware that soft ground is essential to compete with the best two milers. However Ladbrokes offer of 6/1 looks poor value with the likelihood of fast conditions come Cheltenham in March.

Alan Magee