Sir, -

What a difference I encountered between our two premier spring meetings. Having attended both for over 70 years, the contrast in enjoyment was immense.

En route to Fairyhouse (via Porterstown Lane), I experienced a 25-minute delay. At Punchestown, I drove straight in with no delay. Exiting produced the same contrasting experience. Traffic flow was chaotic and out of control at Fairyhouse.

The admission fee for seniors at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday was €45. I was asked for ID and €50. The turnstile operator did not refund me €5 until a colleague advised him to do so. Punchestown was €25.

Crowd numbers at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday need to be capped. The huge number of young racegoers/students present made it impossible or dangerous for me to access the betting ring or Tote areas. The old entrance to the enclosure, between the bookies and stand, was unsafe when the students were entering and leaving together.

Getting a spot in the grandstand was also difficult at Fairyhouse. No such problems at Punchestown, even though the attendance was 26,000 compared to 18,000 at Fairyhouse. Getting a pint at Fairyhouse took me 20 minutes. At Punchestown, three minutes.

Most disappointingly, my two efforts to communicate to Fairyhouse management afterwards were ignored. – Yours etc.,

EDWARD LYNCH

Lismore,

Co Waterford.

John Sheridan, Fairyhouse manager, replies: We are sorry to hear that Mr Lynch did not have a good experience at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday. Feedback is invaluable to us, as it gives us the opportunity to continually improve how our track caters for customers and to plan for future events.

We are conducting a comprehensive post-event review of the Easter Racing Festival, addressing issues that occurred and racegoer feedback, all of which will go into the planning stages for next year’s event.

We pride ourselves on the tradition of the Boyle Sports Irish Grand National on Easter Monday, one of the biggest races on the Irish racing calendar. The occasion’s appeal is such that it attracts large crowds. We want everyone present to enjoy the occasion and we will do everything we can to ensure that happens.