Adopt Cheltenham approach to racecourse drinking

Sir, - What a wonderful end of season meeting Punchestown was last week. Although the strain of previous meetings may have exerted their toll on some of the runners, others filled the gap and provided exciting fare.

Not having attended the Friday evening meeting before, it certainly was an eye opener to see the attendance up 10,000 on Thursday’s meeting. Mainly made up of students, I hope this augurs well for their future attendance at race meetings. A reminder to some of the more flimsy attired females however that is was the end of April and not July at Galway - beware of the changeable weather!

What really annoyed me was that, like Fairyhouse on Grand National day, people insist on bringing drinks up on the stand during the races. It is bad enough when the drink is in plastic glasses but scores of bottles were left lying around the stand and grass areas. A line steward told me he had an uphill battle telling people to bin their bottles (at the concrete stand) and received abuse for such advice!

Why not adopt the Cheltenham approach? No drink can be removed from the security of the bar area there. Friendly (but persuasive) stewards make sure this rule is not broken. Racecourses are making enough money from television sources now that they could employ a few stewards to enforce the regulations.

After all – it’s an accident waiting to happen. – Yours etc.,

EDWARD LYNCH,

South Mall,

Lismore,

Co. Waterford.

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