“We had a slow start last year with the loss of three meetings. However, the drainage project proved successful and now it’s time for us to stop looking backwards and concentrate on the year ahead.”

With these positive words the Sligo racecourse manager Kathryn Foley outlined her hopes for the year ahead, when the track will play host to eight days of racing at Cleveragh, only a kilometre from the centre of Sligo town. It is a notable feature on a good day to see streams of people walking to the racecourse to enjoy a day’s sport.

On Sunday, May 6th the 2018 racing year kicks into gear, and all is set fair for a fine season of racing. The racecourse stages flat and National Hunt programmes on the right-handed oval course over a mile, and the two-furlong run-in features a steady climb from a furlong out. It is a good test of a horse.

Many notable horses have cut their teeth at Sligo’s current home in Cleveragh, a venue they moved to in 1955. However racing in the area is said to date back to 1781, the year construction of the Custom House in Dublin began. In 2016 Let’s Dance, ridden by Danny Mullins and trained by Willie Mullins, won at Sligo and then she went on to land a Grade 2 at the Cheltenham Festival.

That same year Aidan O’Brien sent Sword Fighter out to win at Sligo and the colt went on to capture the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. Willie McCreery’s Downforce and Andy Slattery’s An Saighdiur also won that year in Sligo and enjoyed listed races success afterwards.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the shortened racing year in 2017 at Sligo was the support the track received from racegoers, as Kathryn explained. “The attendance at the remainder of our five meetings was outstanding. As usual the first meeting drew bumper crowds and the trend continued for all of our big meetings.

“Closer to the end of our season, when the rain started in August, that was the real test for the track and I am delighted to say that it stood up to two days of torrential rain. We got great support from our sponsors,with all of the races sponsored for the entire season.”

Managing the ground is a headache in the current climate for any racecourse. Kathryn explains the Sligo routine. “We rotate the ground and use fresh ground for each race meeting. The most important factor is we put back the track immediately after each meeting. The track has worked very well over the winter.

“We had a better spring than last year, probably more so than other parts of the country. Anytime over the last month we could have raced due to the improvement of the track. We obviously prefer the ground to be yielding for National Hunt. Our track improvement is ably overseen by our clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer.”

Track improvements are augmented by other developments to facilities, all designed to improve comfort for customers. Kathryn said: “The improvement in both track and enclosure is an ongoing work in progress. We plant to improve the facilities for everyone coming through our gates; racegoers, the stable staff, and the owners and trainers. We will be embarking on the remaining development work in 2019”.

With a famous royal visitor to Sligo in recent years, how appropriate it is that the opening race of 2018 at the course will be the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall Mares Maiden Hurdle!