THE attendance figures for the Irish Champions Weekend again came under scrutiny this week.

There is a feeling that the more international the meeting becomes, the more it attracts the top flat owners, the less interest the public have in it.

Is it a showcase for Irish breeding more than Irish racing? And is there any harm in that? Is it time to just accept that as the state of play in the modern world of sport?

Racefans are still going racing, but is it for the experience not the horses, especially in the summer. Bellewstown’s July 8th evening attendance was 5,238, Laytown last Tuesday week was 6,470, Listowel on Thursday for a normal card was 17,631. The Curragh’s on Sunday was 5,370, poor weather and facilities the given cause.

On the whole, Leopardstown probably did well, considering inclement weather and the lack of a star or popular horse, to keep its attendances on a par over the last three years.

On the other hand, Laytown and Listowel are showcases of all that is uniquely Irish, and visitors come from abroad to experience it.

If 25% of the population have an interested in racing, as noted in the Deloitte report, it was not so clear from last weekend. The camogie final was the lead on RTE’s Six O’Clock Sports, good to see but racing is a much bigger industry and, importantly, enjoys state funding. Keeping racing to the fore in general media coverage is important. HRI would not accept that racing is a ‘niche sport’, as put forward in one instance.

Prize money of €36 million was paid out in 2016. Our current ability to attract top owners and thereby quality horses, is in part attributed to the levels of prize money here. A further €333 million has been invested in facilities in recent times.

A pertinent figure from the Deloitte report, highlighted by Vincent Finegan, was that for every €1 a racegoer spends on the track they spend €3 getting there (travel, accommodation, catering, attire). In one sense it is more efficient to go racing for two days than on one day, if the course is a bit of a journey away. That’s why festivals work.

Combining the two September Irish meetings was undoubtedly the correct idea and the Thoroughbred Trail was applauded by all who took part. Champions Weekend works on many levels. Maybe our expectations are just too high.