When Dean Rock stepped up to take a free out on the sideline in the 77th minute of yesterday’s All Ireland Football Final, the collective will for him to convert his chance stretched beyond the vastly Dublin-supported Hill 16 stand. It went all the way down to Leopardstown and even to HRI’s headquarters in Kildare.

Had Rock’s free gone over the bar, Dublin would surely have won. It didn’t and both the Dubs and Kerry will be back for a replay on September 14th, clashing with the first day of Longines Irish Champion Weekend at Leopardstown.

I wonder if this situation dawned on Leopardstown CEO Pat Keogh et al during the game. What a stroke of bad luck. But kudos to them, Leopardstown were proactive today and announced that the entire card will be moved forward. The All Ireland is fixed for 6pm and initially would have clashed directly with the main event at Foxrock, the Qipco-backed Irish Champion Stakes which was due to go off at 6:35.

Now the first race at Leopardstown is due to go off at 1:55 and the €1.25 million Group 1 will be off at 4:15. The other Group 1 on the card, the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes, will be on at 5:25, and will be the last race shown on RTÉ, which you’d imagine was the driving force behind the decision to readjust the meeting.

SPONSOR AGREEMENTS

The direct revenue from RTÉ is one thing but arguably more important is the likely agreements in place with sponsors, a huge part in contributing to the quality on offer, with nearly €2.5 million in prize money. So you can see why Leopardstown would be keen to prioritise this.

It’s not going to be an all-rosey situation unfortunately. There will likely still be plenty who will just stay away from Leopardstown, be it either attending the actual day or even watching on television, in favour of the All Ireland coverage.

And how RTÉ cover Leopardstown is probably not a straightforward situation of putting it on the other available channel, as having sport on both channels may not be in the best interests of the state broadcaster. This could lead to interrupted coverage of the racing - perhaps a cutting away from Croke Park to show the Matron and then quickly returning - which isn’t ideal but again, may well be unavoidable.

With regard to those wanting to attend the meeting, Leopardstown’s strategy to couple up with the football instead of taking it on, seems like the right one. This has worked well with Six Nations matches clashing with the Dublin Racing Festival, and there is an opportunity there to create a very good after-racing atmosphere.

DERBY CLASH

Taking on the All Ireland and leaving the race times as they were would seem ill-advised, especially given the pull of a Dublin-Kerry final, likely multiplied further after a pulsating affair yesterday.

Racing and the GAA have already clashed this year when a Kildare qualifier fixture was held just five miles away, and 20 minutes ahead of the Irish Derby at the Curragh. There was a real sense that clash could have been avoided, given there was potential for a straight swap with another qualifier game taking place at 7pm on the same day, however it’s hard to really blame the GAA for this latest clash.

The two All Ireland Finals are their signature events and with camogie finals and ladies football finals taking up the other obvious dates, this is the first logical time they could have the replay. And, in fairness, if you’re Leopardstown or HRI, you can’t really let the prospect of a drawn All Ireland final dictate when you hold your race meeting, of which the date is already a significant factor in its appeal to suit international contenders.

JAPANESE ANGLE

Speaking of which, Leopardstown have also mentioned that the prospect of the Green Channel, Japan’s dedicated racing channel, showing the Irish Champion Stakes, was also taken into consideration when making the decision. An earlier start will allow Japan's masses of racing fans to see Deirdre take her chance in the Group 1, which can only be a good thing.

The real loser in this readjustment could be Doncaster, whose St Leger meeting will now likely be playing second fiddle on the day. In previous years, the top jockeys and trainers could do both meetings but, with the final British classic due off at 3:35, it will be impossible for the big names to do both this time around.

Still, you have to look after your own yard. Leopardstown will do their very best with the situation because Irish Champion Stakes day is a fixture that is fully deserving of maximising its potential.

If you were to pin up one race in the entire flat season to best represent Irish flat racing, it would be the Irish Champion Stakes. Recent renewals of the race have been as good as any other race in the world that season. It is head and shoulders above any of the Irish classics and other Group 1s. Central to this is a brilliant prize money offering led by Qipco.

It’s a pity that it won’t be the biggest show in town on the day, but it is what it is, and here is to hoping there will be plenty more sports fans like myself who will be more than happy to attend Leopardstown and be able to see the All Ireland Final.