THE fourth Irish classic of season was run on Saturday with a fitting new sponsor and the Kerrygold Irish Oaks branding looked pretty good on approach to the track.

It’s challenging times for the new Curragh after it had failed pass its biggest test in customer service at the Irish Derby meeting. The attendance that day was just under 12,000 and today’s was a more subdued 4,295, which caused little problems.

No attendance figures were available last season, but when you look back to 2017, a total of 3,481 officially attended to see Enable win when the temporary facilities and no proper stand were in use. You could imply we’ve spent over €80 million to bring 814 extra people to the track for one of our classic races.

This weekend, there was access to all levels for seating in the grandstands, though it was far from full and well empty by the final race.

The stand and viewing from it is first class, and the area by the Derby bar which has a good atmosphere but could get well crowded if it was raining.

No queues at the bar this time, though the Champions Hall is missing something – it needs more seats, or ledges, not trestle-type tables, to stand with a drink. On a day of other sports attracting the attention, somewhere comfortable with a big screen to sit for a while and enjoy the sporting events from elsewhere would be good. Leopardstown have this box well ticked for many years. Seating outside is fine, it needs a little more inside.

There’s the sign on the wall of the grandstand – No Smoking, Complaints to: Proprietor Derek McGrath though from now on, he’ll hardly be too worried of any smoking issues!

It’s dangerous time of year to be out and about if your county colours are known and still in some sort of contention for a title.

“Come on the Dubs!” Pat Healy is being harassed. But you’ll not find a Kerryman with a straighter face, “What are they? What are they?” is the reply.

On the track though, it’s a bit of a rush to get up and see the Frankie flying dismount, especially as it’s performed facing the other side of the parade ring.

Earlier, on track and when interviewed on TV, later Paul Cullen is the happiest man on the Curragh when Verhoyen holds on to win the big handicap.

Jockey Rory Cleary is almost as happy. “This day last week I was lying up in hospital in Navan.”

There are a few gremlins in the RTÉ coverage – for one instant, Sir Dragonet is favourite for the Irish Oaks on a betting graphic, and Andy Mc’s forgotten that this is Gordon Lord Byron’s 100th appearance, but Tom Hogan has all the figures and there’s a nice piece in the racecard.

The betting ring looks busier on TV, from a higher angle, than it does at the track.

Criticism

Hugh Cahill, Ted and Jane Mangan address the Curragh’s issues from the Derby meeting and the continued criticism of the facilities.

“I’ve been coming a long, long time, and to be blunt about it, it suffers from delusions of grandeur. They think people will just come here, but they won’t, when they did come they didn’t look after them. When there’s a bad smell, it takes a long time to get rid of it.”

Jane Mangan also puts her finger on the spot: “Stop and admit you got it wrong. The stand is magnificent. Open up the second level. Make more use of the stand. If you pay, you only have access to the bottom.”

The talking point of the racing after the Oaks was of Frankie’s ride on the winner. Donnacha O’Brien is a bit prophetic in his pre-Oaks interview on RTÉ.

“They tend to get racing early here, if you take your time you have plenty of time to make it up but we all saw what happened in the Irish Derby so it’s not that easy.”

Yes, Donnacha. Frankie was watching too. A touch of déjà vu delivered in the Oaks.

“Beautiful to watch, as someone who loves great horses you love great jockeys as well and it’s lovely to watch Frankie,” Ted reviews the Oaks on TV.

“John Gosden is a genius. He makes my life easy, I just ride them,” Frankie deflects the praise. We all know the simple things are the best.