I’M really too young to be harking on about ‘the good ole days’, but I feel old when I reminisce about Derby Days gone by.

Back when crowds were so large that it was a struggle to squeeze between the parade ring and edge of the weighroom - it’s bad when that becomes a fond memory, but dwindling numbers and flat atmospheres can do that to a gal.

That’s why I approached Sunday with a degree of apprehension; afraid to witness a quiet day that bore no resemblance to what used to be one of my favourite days of the year.

I am delighted to say that Sunday was a pleasant surprise. The sun shone, the visitors flooded in, the atmosphere sparkled. There was a wonderful mix of people there for different reasons - some for the racing, others for socialising and plenty dressed to impress the judges.

I knew we were back to good times when I visited the ladies’ loo (don’t worry, this isn’t toilet talk) and discovered an empty naggin of vodka. The party was back, and it continued late as crowds stayed back for music after racing.

Hats off to the Curragh for drawing in the crowds and providing an event that would incentivise return customers. I did overhear grumbles about long queues for food and drink, but as I was busy reporting, I can’t offer my own experience.

Changes

However, the queue for owners and trainers’ entry was far too long - out the door in fact, and that just isn’t acceptable. Hopefully it will be ironed out in the future.

The nine-race card was another negative for me, as the day was long, but that’s coming from someone working and I may have felt entirely different if I was there to enjoy a lovely day out.

I also recognise that the number of races is due to the World Pool, which brings vital funds. One improvement that could be made, perhaps, is to move the feature one race earlier, as it felt a long wait to get to the main event.

Other tracks should take a note out of the Curragh’s book, or rather racecard, and feature their own version of the page detailing what aspiring punters should look out for in the parade ring when making their selections.

“We do this for every fixture now,” Tara Buick, Senior Events and Communications Executive at the Curragh, explained.

“It’s a new initiative this year that was initially suggested by Lissa Oliver. We put it together using images from photographer David Betts, who photographs the Best Turned Out selections on each race day.”

Better informed customers are our best chance of creating long-term fans of racing, particularly on the flat. I’ve met plenty of people who say they enjoy racing, but don’t know what they’re looking at, but they would like to know more.

This simple addition to the racecard is one of the solutions.

FLAT racing has increasingly become the poor relation to National Hunt racing in the popularity stakes. The thrills and spills of the jumps is a major reason, but it doesn’t help that flat racing is considered the more elitist of the two codes.

In my opinion, that reputation isn’t necessarily deserved. The top end of jumps racing is now dominated by a few stables and it often takes away from the entertainment value.

Graded races now regularly consist of small fields and the same few trainers and, in some instances, stablemates taking each other on. Of course, you could say that about the top flat contests, and it’s often the case - many will have rolled their eyes at Aidan’s 1-2-3 in the Irish Derby, but without him, what a damp squib it would have been.

Thankfully though, there was a wonderful spread of winners over the three days. Seventeen jockeys scored for 17 trainers and only two sets of owners gained multiple wins - Coolmore and various partners notched five, while Juddmonte enjoyed a double. The other 17 owners included two syndicates.

Granted, Derby weekend is not the Cheltenham Festival but isn’t it interesting that 16 trainers and 19 jockeys got on the board at jump racing’s pinnacle this year? That’s from 28 races, compared to 24 at the Curragh.

The bigger yards’ domination in jumps racing also means that there are less rags to riches tales now, too. Smaller owners and trainers are outbid at the sales or forced to sell their best just to stay afloat, or simply because selling is more attractive than competing for inadequate prize money.

Last week’s two Group 1 winners were no advertisement for accessibility, I grant you (though at 425,000gns, Estrange wasn’t that much more expensive than some jumps horses, and she’ll make into a valuable broodmare).

Shrewd purchases

Elsewhere though, success appeared attainable. Fagner Santos bought Robson de Aguiar’s Anglesey Stakes winner Ballinea Star as a yearling for €26,000, Johnny Murtagh and Eddie Linehan sourced listed scorer Zodiac Bear for €35,000, while Dash Stakes hero Big Gossey couldn’t find a buyer at the sales.

You didn’t have to spend a fortune to land a €100,000 premier handicap, either. Meriden, who has won her last four starts, was bought by Mark McStay’s Avenue Bloodstock for Patrick O’Brien for 32,000gns 12 months ago.

Another who has made a relatively quick return is Pierre Royal, who landed the Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival Handicap on his second start for Ado McGuinness. The former Dermot Weld inmate was bought by McGuinness and BBA Ireland from breeder Moyglare Stud Farm at last year’s Tattersalls Autumn Horse In Training Sale.

On what drew them to the son of Kingman, BBA agent Adam Potts explained: “We loved his profile going into Tattersalls in October.

“He got a mark of 88 for his maiden win at Gowran and he looked the part. He had a really good pedigree and we just thought all the factors meant that he could be a very good horse and, thankfully, he’s been worth the 48,000gns that we paid for him.”

Success in the €100,000 handicap is a highlight so far for the agent and trainer combination, whose 36,000gns buy Goal Exceeded made a winning stable debut at the 2025 Irish Guineas meeting.

“Ado has been a great help to me since I joined BBA in the summer of 2024 and it’s great to get a good horse for him,” Potts said. “He’s given me a lot of support and I’m very thankful for that.”

Career highlight

Owner/breeders didn’t have to splash the cash either, with Rockingham winner Genesis a fine example of a talented horse bred on a budget, though Michael Foley has put plenty of years into creating Mick Mulvany’s premier handicap winner.

“We bought the great-granddam in England and bred a Leopardstown maiden winner out of her - that’s this lad’s granddam, and his dam won a maiden here herself,” he relayed.

On where Sunday’s win stands in his time as a breeder, he said: “This is the best ever - to win a premier handicap.

“We always knew he was a good horse; he’s so genuine. The only doubt I had was Mick running him over five [furlongs], because he’d won over six three times. I left it up to Mick and it’s a good job I did!

“The first person to ring me was Joe Foley (of Ballyhane Stud). We always went to Joe Foley’s sires on the flat.

“We’ve an Elzaam two-year-old, a Sands Of Mali yearling and a Sands Of Mali foal that are half-siblings to Genesis.

“Unfortunately, the foal is blind in one eye, but as Joe said, that didn’t stop the Queen Mary winner!”