ANOTHER Irish Champions Weekend done and, with the weather gods playing ball into September, conditions at both tracks, for man and horse, were ideal.
Motoring southwards to Leopardstown via the M50 on Saturday, I had the misfortune of hitting the tail end of the Trump (is that a savoury image?) visit and a traffic backlog around the airport. The fear was that I would miss the first or maybe even the second race.
But fortunately, there was no delay at all getting in and up close to Leopardstown on Saturday. The first impression, having been forced to the far away carparks for the DRF, was that this was not a big crowd for such a high-profile meeting. That persisted for some time.
There was a lot of space to walk around at ground level. Certainly, the Race Hall, and the Sports Hall in the bottom of the main stand, had plenty of space and no fear of bar queues. It was even easy to get a close-up pitch paddock side for horses coming back to the winner’s enclosure.
At €5, the racecard could be livened up a bit and present the events of the day in a bit more exciting a format amid all the advert pages.
The opener had a nice, rousing stands’ cheers of “C’mon Billy, C’mon Keane”, finish. Set us up for a Listowel chant!
Out on the track, there were around 15 photographers in bibs, so at least all the photo angles and the international snappers’ interests are still there.
The addition on the card of the upgraded Group 1 Golden Fleece Stakes had an impressive winner - even if €235,600 to the winner and five runners from either O’Briens and just one other Irish trainer represented, might find a better use of prize money.
On TV, Aidan O’Brien said: “It’s going to be very important race, all the good middle-distance type horses were there.” Hmm. They might just be today or they might be one day, as the saying goes.
On the plus side, there were plenty of new bits and pieces around the track. The open-topped Silks Tavern had a relaxed feel and all its seats taken and is a nice set up in good weather with some food nearby. Not sure Tony Cascarino is a main attraction though, and not kicking a few footballs into the paddock-side crowd.
Best-dressed elegance
More additions of music and dance over the day kept a bit of interest, and there was a good parade of best-dressed elegance, with the gentleman winner Bjoern Stoll from New York, having over 40 supporters and interesting links from America and Germany, telling Megan he also has an Indian wife and African shoes! You could get your Style Illustration and photos from the day in the Legacy Bar, but it’s hard to know who this appeals to.
The National Anthem performance got a rousing cheer from the stands, nearly as big as Hotazhell. There was a good reception for the Harrington winner - the fall-out came later!
The DRF Sunday attendance was given at 18,705 and there was barely standing room in the stands that day. Saturday before the Irish Champions Stakes you could comfortably lie down in a full-length space without impeding anyone.
Sunday action
The Curragh lends itself well to a bright day and had extra elements, if again over 8,800 there is as good as we are going to be in attendances.
The Kildare Pony Club members stood out front for the big race. Children could meet some equine ambassador horses. A nice segment for Treo Eile on RTE showed many former racehorses in fine fettle in their new lives, as they paraded in the ring.
It’s important for the sport, with two days of prime-time main channel TV for things to look entertaining. Aidan O’Brien became the centre of attention for interviews after the virus revelation.
Over the two days, we had over 25 individual trainers travelling from Britain. At Leopardstown, we had eight different trainers and seven different jockeys in the winner’s enclosure after success.
But, at the Curragh, we had three odds-on shots and a 5/4 favourite winning among two other favourites. The Curragh betting ring figures fell almost 14% and on-course bookmaker Brian Keenan told The Racing Post that ”the Irish Champions Festival just isn’t what we had originally hoped for and I think it’s getting worse”.
There is no getting away from the fact that there is a big change from the first Champions Weekend meeting in 2014, which had a reported 13,190 Leopardstown attendance and the place was buzzing in style and enthusiasm. The pre-Covid 2019 fixture, where Iridessa and Magical won the big races, had a reported attendance of 13,433.
That initial Champions Festival day at Leopardstown had an eight-race card and began at 3.35pm and the last race was 7.20pm. We don’t have any big GAA matches or other sports taking people away. I wonder would more later music keep people there longer and a later start bring more in?
But while a simple Willie Mullins/Gordon Elliott clash in February grabs the attention, the best of the best on the flat here just doesn’t do it. And you can’t ‘sell’ it on the great range of horses - Constitution River and Blue Bolt are not wider attractions. It’s perhaps like the Derby in Britain - the ‘local’ interest is not there.
Conundrum
The big conundrum that takes a lot of overcoming, if you are trying to entice a crowd, is on an eight-race card with three two-year-old races all won by an O’Brien yard and six of the eight having an O’Brien winning trainer, with Ryan Moore on four of them, isn’t the most appealing.
Could we not get a more ‘win and you’re in’ series to have a big race on this day for smaller trainers?
On the other hand, of course - what more do true race fans want? We had the champion stayer and possibly the champion sprinter winning on the card and the two two-year-old Group 1 winners are now the top rated in the division by Timeform. It didn’t lack quality, just depth.
Yet, watching back Doncaster on TV, you could not but be envious of the atmosphere for the Leger card and they even had a cheer when the runners began in the opening maiden.
Which statement was most true, I wondered Saturday night? That Donald Trump is really very interested in seeing a united Ireland or there were actually 11,516 people in Leopardstown?