WITH the Cheltenham Festival just a matter of days old, attention is already switching to the flat season, which begins at Naas on Sunday week.

The traditional curtain raiser, the Irish Lincoln, has a new home for the next two years, while the Curragh undergoes a major redevelopment programme. As manager of Naas racecourse, I am charged with ensuring there is a smooth transition and everything is as it should be for the opening day of the new campaign.