Racing: Horse Racing Ireland are set to examine proposed plans for a brand new Tramore racetrack which could open in three years time at an estimated cost of nearly €20 million.
A 183-acre site, which is visible from the current course and is nearer the sea, has been acquired which will allow the current Tramore course to probably be sold for building redevelopment.
The current track is judged to be too small for expansion and the new site would take racing at the Co Waterford course back to its original home. It was the centre for racing in Tramore until 1911.
"It is very early days and we have to sit down with Horse Racing Ireland next week to see where we are going," the Tramore manager Sue Phelan said yesterday.
"We are looking to provide a premier grade track with a 12- furlong round course and a six-furlong sprint track. Our shareholders meet on October 12th and we would hope to show our plans in greater detail then."
A three-year time frame to build a racecourse from scratch is being mooted on the basis there would be no objections on the planning side of the project.
The last completely new racetrack built in Ireland was at Limerick and based on that project, Phelan estimates the overall cost of a new course at Tramore could be in the region of €20 million. Yesterday she said that the Tramore authorities would be looking for up to 60 per cent of that in capital grant funding from HRI.
The chief executive of racing's ruling body, Brian Kavanagh, didn't want to comment on specifics yesterday, but did concede that funding for such a project will be the key concern.
"Building a completely new racecourse is a separate issue to the upgrading of facilities that we have helped at other courses," Kavanagh said.
"I don't want to pre-empt any discussions we will have with Tramore. But we will sit down and go through their plans. The board at Tramore and the directors have run the track very effectively in recent years and we have outlined in our strategic plan how improving facilities is a priority," he added.
The current Tramore course was bought by its present directors in 1997 when it looked like being sold for redevelopment. But the tight circuit is trappy to ride on and at the last meeting the top apprentices Cathy Gannon and Rory Cleary were injured in falls.
Red Damson's Irish tour can continue on its winning way at Tralee today where the jumpers have their big day of the festival.
The €45,000 Denny Gold Medal Handicap Chase is the biggest jumping pot this week, but despite that there will also be plenty of interest in the Havasnack Race for amateur riders.
It's an event that in the past has thrown up some future star names like Dawn Run and Ansar, but this time it looks to be about the Newmarket raider Red Damson.
Mark Prescott has always been an innovative and calculating trainer, but travelling to Bellewstown earlier this month was a new one even for him and the trip came off in style as Red Damson justified a gamble in fine style by 14 lengths. The extra three furlongs will be no problem today and while there shouldn't be any long distance demolition this time Red Damson still looks the most interesting contender.
The big chase includes the Galway Plate runner-up Ursumman who only found Ansar too good at Ballybrit over a course and distance he probably found slightly too much.
This two and a half miles on a level track should be more suitable and Ursumman can provide the father and son teams of "Boots" and "Slippers" Madden with a valuable success.
Naples ran out a good winner on his jumping debut at Roscommon, beating Rajayla by three lengths, and looks one to follow up in the novice hurdle against the Cork winner Keaveney.
Mattys Joy was a disappointment in his last start but Ken Whelan's mount is a course and distance winner going into today's two-mile handicap chase and ran a good enough race behind Swordplay on his penultimate start.
