LAST year the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners honoured three racecourses at their awards dinner. One of the recipients was Downpatrick and this award, especially when it is given by owners who are the lifeblood of the industry, is highly prized and much valued by the racecourse manager Richard Lyttle.

While it is often said that Downpatrick is on any shortlist for friendliest racecourse accolades, the same could be said about Lyttle himself. In charge of the venue since 2010, he has stamped his own inimitable style on the days of racing there. Extremely customer focused in all that he does, he aims to make a visit to Downpatrick a day to remember. Lyttle cut his teeth on racecourse management with a 10-year stint in Navan.

Downpatrick has a long and fascinating history. One of just two racecourses in Northern Ireland, it has had to battle at times for survival and all of its achievements have been hard earned. The course is just a mile from the town of the same name and, like most similar sized tracks, it is heavily reliant on local support.

The first race meeting was held over 300 years ago in 1685 at the old grounds, a few miles down the road from where it is situated today. Racing has continued since with few interruptions, a remarkable achievement in itself. Racing has been held on the present course for more than 200 years.

history

The town of Downpatrick is steeped in history and a visit to the races could well be combined with some local sightseeing. The county town of Down, it has been an important site since ancient times. Its cathedral is said to be the burial place of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. He was buried there in 461, and it is also said to be the burial site of Saint Brigid of Kildare.

The racecourse itself is a tight undulating track of some 10 furlongs. It has a special connection with the Aintree Grand National and spectators have been rewarded over the years with some memorable horses, not least being the 1947 Aintree Grand National winner Caughoo and the locally-bred Rhyme ‘N’ Reason who won the National under Brendan Powell in 1988. The latter was bred locally by Judy Maxwell. Grand National winning rider Tony Dobbin is a native of Downpatrick.

Downpatrick not only attracts great horses but has also had some influential racegoers. On her visit to Northern Ireland the late Queen Mother saw her horse Laffy win the Ulster Grand National. While a horse called Connkehely actually passed the post in front, course commentator Micheal O’Hehir had noticed that the gelding, running in a bitless bridle, had missed out a fence. The Queen Mother was mobbed by well-wishers in the winners’ enclosure.

Last year Downpatrick was one of nine racecourses in Ireland to record an increase in attendances compared to 2014 and Richard Lyttle is confident that with two more meetings to go this year, September 23rd and October 14th, he will be able to report another increase.

His next meeting will hopefully attract some Scottish visitors, with two of the races being The Kelso Racecourse, Being Part Of It Maiden Hurdle and The Scottish Borders Handicap Chase.

Another feather in the cap of the racecourse is that at the Byerley Turk Ball this year it raised €25,000 for the Irish Injured Jockeys.

Could there be better value than the following? At the next meeting for just £40 a head you can have entry to the races, a reserved table, complimentary racecard, a celebrity tipster, a meal and tea/coffee. Book in now.