Irish racing - Right or Wrong

[BillyHills]

The Curragh as we know is being redeveloped over the next couple of years and the decision was taken to still hold the Irish Derby and Champions Weekend at the track with a reduced capacity of 6,000 people.

Yesterday just 5,400 turned up and many have criticised the track for not moving the event to elsewhere.

This is what Arsenalfh said at the beginning of the season and I have to agree with him after what we saw on Saturday.

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Unfortunately we have the ridiculous situation that the Irish Derby and the second day of Irish Champions Weekend in particular will be run in front of a capped crowd of 6,000. Great to showcase two of Ireland's best days racing with a capped crowd and in front of a building site. Despite being branded as a weekend event, approximately 10,000 of the people who go to Leopardstown will not be able to go to the Curragh. Both races should have been moved to Leopardstown this year and I would even make the case for moving the second day of Irish Champions Weekend to Leopardstown permanently.

What is everyone looking forward to this year?

 

 

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Suffice to say the irony wasn’t lost on many when it emerged that the estimated attendance figure on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day came to just 5,412.

Irish Flat racing is a hard sell at the best of times. When the decision was made to continue racing at the Curragh during its €70 million revamp, the one day that has tended to fall into the best of times category found itself with an attendance cap of 6,000.

Alas, in a pretty apt illustration of just how bizarre it is to in effect be running Irish racing’s premier Classic behind closed doors, it failed to meet even that target. Talk about missing an open goal.

The Curragh can’t catch a break right now, although its CEO Derek McGrath was phlegmatic after Capri's game triumph.

'Those who were here had a great day'

“We budgeted for around 800 AIR card holders, and probably about half of that turned up,” he explained. “We tried to facilitate most of those who turned up on spec as some arrived with extra tickets, and I’m not aware there were many, or even any, who had to be turned away.

"Those who were here had a great day and we've just had a cracking Derby.”

Noel Meade, chairman of the Irish trainers’ association, is among those opposed to racing carrying on at headquarters. The former champion trainer isn’t just indignant that the Curragh isn’t closed, but maintains the prospect of racing there on day two of Irish Champions Weekend in September should be reconsidered.

“I think we're sending out all the wrong signals,” Meade declared, “and I think when this festival is over it should be looked into again as to what they do next.

"I know it's the Derby and the Derby has always been at the Curragh, but Champions Weekend hasn’t always been run at the Curragh, and I don’t see why we should muck up two of them. It has to be looked at because you can’t turn people away like we are.”