THE redevelopments taking place at the Curragh and ParisLongchamp, as it will be known, featured prominently at the conference. Horse Racing Ireland’s Brian Kavanagh and the Curragh CEO Derek McGrath made the presentation on behalf of the Irish racecourse, with Kavanagh also providing delegates with a synopsis of the findings of the recent Deloitte report.

The huge significance of both flagship racecourses is that one-third of all Group 1 races staged in Europe are run at the Curragh and ParisLongchamp. The Co Kildare venue plays host to all but two of Ireland’s dozen Group 1 races, and 60% of all pattern races run in the country. In addition, 45 trainers operate from the Curragh.