IT will be interesting to see if the move to make Galway Plate day an evening meeting (5.10pm start) will produce an upturn in recent attendances. There is good reason to believe it will.

Three of the four most popular days at Galway last year were evening meetings. Granted, the most popular one was Thursday’s afternoon meeting but Thursday is Ladies Day, and Ladies Day is special. It’s always going to be the most popular with the more casual racegoer, particularly the younger brigade. Actually, in recent years the Ladies Day crowd probably has taken away from the Galway Plate crowd. If you have a choice of taking one day off work to go racing at Galway, you’re probably going to go on Ladies Day – 12,000+ people favoured this option last year.