Sir, - In May a major watershed looms for the Phoenix Park Racecourse lands, when a vote on their future will be taken by the Fingal county councillors.
We and others have done all in our power to persuade the councillors to preserve the enormous heritage contained in these lands for racing and other recreational/ leisure pursuits. There are now grounds for optimism that the majority of the councillors will want to go down in local government history as having taken the best possible long-term decision in this respect.
We are fully aware of the current importance of housing and the priority that the Government has placed on it, but we are convinced that there are more suitable sites in Fingal County for this purpose.
All the economic, demographic and social indicators are now favourable for the return of top-class racing to the one remaining site available for that purpose in North Dublin, and the recent burning of stands and other buildings simply provides the ashes from which the Phoenix will rise once more. - Yours, etc., Kevin G. A. Smith, President, The Racing Club of Ireland,
Eden Park Avenue, Dublin 14.