“We had a slow start last year with the loss of three meetings. However, the drainage project proved successful and now it’s time for us to stop looking backwards and concentrate on the year ahead.”

With these positive words the Sligo racecourse manager Kathryn Foley outlined her hopes for the year ahead, when the track will play host to eight days of racing at Cleveragh, only a kilometre from the centre of Sligo town. It is a notable feature on a good day to see streams of people walking to the racecourse to enjoy a day’s sport.