Course clerk defends Hanlon's Limerick criticism

John 'Shark' Hanlon was heavily critical of Limerick's going today with the trainer's Pots And Pans taking a fatal fall during the running of the opening maiden hurdle.

Debutante Pots And Pans suffered a fatal fall at the fourth-last flight and afterwards an irked Hanlon said “they told us the whole week the ground was good to firm and we came down for good ground but, once again, the ground is yielding to soft, soft in places. The ground has definitely been over-watered and is has happened at Tipperary and three or four of the tracks recently and I think it's a holy disgrace.

“It is lovely up until the Punchestown festival to have soft ground but a lot of small trainers have good-ground horses and we want good ground. The ground today is described as good to yielding but is yielding to soft.

“I'm after losing a horse today (faller Pots And Pans) and if I knew the ground was what-it-was I'd never have ran the horse. I wasn't here earlier but he is a good ground horse and can't jump out of soft ground.”

In response, clerk of the course and retired jockey Paul Moloney stated “we are trying to get the ground as close to yielding to make it safe for horse and rider and that's what we are trying to achieve. We couldn't have got enough of plaudits for last night's chase card so that's all we are trying to achieve.

“It has been 22 or 23 degrees here all day, my ground staff have done an excellent job watering and the ground is beautiful and the times for the first two races suggest that. The opening race, which was over two-miles and 100 yards, was run in 3 minutes and 52 seconds which suggests the going is close to good.”