The new Curragh boss believes Irish racing’s headquarters is set to start with a relatively clean slate when the 2022 turf flat racing season begins on Saturday.
The revamped €81 million showpiece facility, the biggest capital development project in Irish racing history, which included €36 million of State funding, opened in 2019 and has had a turbulent time since.
Problems during construction included the parade ring having to be rebuilt because it was too small.
Within months of opening, the track’s chief executive, Derek McGrath, stepped down, citing a lack of unity among racing’s top echelons about the Curragh’s best long-term future.
There was also significant criticism of an “upstairs/downstairs” atmosphere to racing at the course, particularly in relation to the 2019 Irish Derby, when a crowd of only 12,000 attended an amenity designed to cater for up to 30,000 people.
Racing took place largely behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021.
There was also an embarrassing issue with the roof of the stand, which made a loud whistling sound in windy conditions although officials are confident that has been sorted.
The Curragh’s third chief executive in four years is the former Horse Racing Ireland boss Brian Kavanagh, who was a key figure in the controversial redevelopment of the racecourse.
Kavanagh spent five years (1994-1999) in charge of the country’s most famous track and took over again in November after 20 years at the helm of HRI.
“The first year was an opening year with teething problems, there’s no doubt about that. The last two years have seen a pandemic. So, we see an opportunity now for people to come and enjoy the facilities. They’re as good as new.
“No doubt, it’s a fresh start. There’s a great team at the Curragh and we’re all looking forward to having a clear run at the season without restrictions and with good racing,” Kavanagh said on Friday.
The former HRI boss said he was putting an emphasis on attracting locals to the Curragh this year but was not going to set targets in terms of attendance figures.
“I don’t think it’s a number thing. The main target is to engage the Curragh with the race-going public and particularly the local community.
“We’re very much on a mission to open up the Curragh to local events on non-race days and effectively allow the local community to share the facility.
“We think it’s a two-way thing with the local community in terms of contributing as well as drawing out of it,” Kavanagh said.
Stop-start flat
Just over a week after Cheltenham, and ahead of an upcoming run of Grand National races, the emphasis is very much on the level over the coming days.
Naas stages a Sunday card and Navan also races on the level on Tuesday.
“There was criticism in the past of [the start of the flat] being very start-stop, put it that way, in that you’d not have another meeting for six days, then another gap after that, and it stutters along until Fairyhouse and Punchestown are finished.
“In fairness, HRI allocated fixtures differently this time and I think two Kildare tracks to launch the season is great,” Kavanagh added.
The campaign kick-off sees Ryan Moore make a first trip of the year to Ireland for eight rides over the weekend.
Aidan O’Brien’s No 1 rider will team up with the equine star attraction in last year’s 1,000 Guineas, heroine Mother Earth, when she starts her four-year-old campaign in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes at the Curragh.
The English man also takes a pair of outside rides at HQ including Bowerman, who will try to repeat his 2020 victory in the Paddy Power Irish Lincolnshire.
He is one of seven runners in the €100,000 handicap highlight for Ado McGuinness.
Colin Keane, who is an all but unbackable 1-12 favourite to retain the jockey’s title this year, is on board another McGuinness hope, Saltonstall.
Irish in Dubai
McGuinness will help fly the Irish flag at Saturday’s hugely lucrative Dubai World Cup programme in Meydan, where the Abbaye winner A Case of You lines up in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint due off at 1.35 and live on Sky Sports Racing.
Ronan Whelan’s mount renews rivalry with Man of Promise, who beat him by almost five lengths over course and distance earlier this month.
“I think he has a few pounds of improvement in him. The prep has gone well and he has settled in well to Dubai. He is much more settled than he was for his first run here. All going well, I believe he can earn a big cheque,” McGuinness said.
First prize in the Al Quoz is almost €800,000, although even that pales in comparison with the $12 million up for grabs in the featured World Cup, due off at 4.30.
US superstar Life Is Good is odds-on favourite but extends his stamina out to 10 furlongs for the first time in his career.
The other Irish interest at Meydan will be Joseph O’Brien’s Baron Samedi, who takes his chance in the two-mile Gold Cup off at 12.55.
Ryan Moore skips Meydan and will be busy after Saturday’s racing, too, as Aidan O’Brien is expected to work some of his top contenders for the year at the Curragh.
The champion trainer has half a dozen runners over the weekend, including Cleveland in the Listed feature at Naas as well as the regally bred Tuesday in a maiden.
The sister to both Minding and Empress Josephine lines up for a contest the latter won a year ago en route to classic glory.
