The going is soft for the day three highlight, the www.thetote.com Galway Plate.

An eight race card gets underway at 3pm today at Ballybrit with the feature event going to post at 5.25pm.

The ground is reported as soft for the national hunt tracks and soft, soft to heavy in places for the Flat.

There will be fresh ground available tomorrow at the western venue for the hurdle and Flat action.

The weather forecast is for sunshine and showers over the next few days.

A maximum field of 20 go to post for the €200,000 "Plate", and Blackstairmountain heads the market as champion trainer Willie Mullins bids to land this valuable prize for the second successive year.

Cork, who race on Sunday, received 7mm of rain overnight.

It's still good on the hurdle track, good to yielding, yielding in places on the Flat round course and yielding to soft for the sprinters.

The ground is soft at both Naas and Roscommon ahead of their respective meetings next Monday and Tuesday.