ON Monday week the gates at Roscommon will open for the first time this year, heralding the first of nine race meetings at the track. Michael Finneran is in his 20th year in charge of the racecourse and he came to the role with a deep love of horses and racing.

The intervening years have provided plenty of challenges but Michael is a man who looks for the positives and he continues to enjoy the role, making many friends on the journey.

He and the team are emerging from a winter break which has seen many upgrades complete to bars, toilets and the restaurant. On the racing front they are looking forward to the year ahead and expect to see more quality flat and National Hunt performers face the uphill finish which provides a stern test for horses.

Support for racing at Roscommon is twofold, both paying customers and sponsors. Michael is grateful for both.

“We have a hard core of supporters from the region who attend almost all our meetings, and they are important not just in betting terms but also in providing an atmosphere.

“Sponsorship can be quite difficult as the population of Roscommon is just over 60,000 and there is very little industry in the area. We are actually the lowest-populated county in Ireland with a racecourse. We are fortunate that our sponsors are very loyal and a big percentage are local. They are all valued greatly.”

Michael prides himself on providing a friendly atmosphere at the track, while the provision of safe racing ground is paramount. “We always try to provide fresh ground for our meetings and it can take up to two days to change the running rail all around the course. This is a job that requires both patience and skill. Our clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer is a great help to us. Our biggest challenge is rainfall.”

The latter factor is a key element for all racecourse managers, something they have no control over. “I would love to see attendances improve. Fine weather is a very important factor, while we encourage people by means of advertising, offering discounted group bookings, running special promotions such as ladies day, family day, best dressed competitions, and more.”

Michael and his supportive board are continuing to invest in the facility, but he is concerned about the future for Irish racing. He told me: “Irish racing is very strong internationally. However, there is no question that something needs to be done for everyone concerned from the middle to lower end of the race scale in Ireland.”

In the past few years developments have been carried out in the enclosure and racing areas; as Michael succinctly puts it “without racing taking place, there would be no meeting.” In the future there are plans to redevelop the jockeys’ area at the road-end of the track. “This will be a major work and will require the assistance of our bank manager and Horse Racing Ireland.”

A long and noble history of racing of racing began unofficially in 1837 when it was organised by the British Army, and officially started nearly half a century later in 1885. It has continued ever since with the exception of a 12-year period from 1936 to 1948.

Asked for his wish for the racecourse as the season starts, Michael is straight to the point. “My wishes are simple – fine weather and no injuries to humans or horses.” And so say all of us.

Head west this year and hopefully you will catch an early glimpse of another racing stalwart such as Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Call or Ascot Gold Cup winner Enzeli.