Kavanagh: 6,000 attendance limit for Irish Derby a short-term pain

Horse Racing Ireland's chief executive Brian Kavanagh has said it is a case of "short-term pain for long-term gain" in relation to the application of a 6,000 attendance limit for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh both this year and in 2018.

The demolition of the old grandstand as part of the Curragh’s €65 million redevelopment is expected shortly and planning requirements will mean a restricted crowd capacity for the next two years at Irish racing’s HQ.

It will make for a significant impact on the Curragh’s two showpiece events with the capacity limit also in place for its high-profile leg of ‘Irish Champions Weekend’ in September.

The Curragh is staging a curtailed season from mid-May to mid-September for the next couple of years and dramatically curtailed facilities are inevitable due to building work.

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Viewing will be restricted and a temporary stand with a capacity of 1,500 people will be in place. There will also be a temporary weighroom put in place at the historic track where the new 6,000 attendance limit is likely to be most relevant on its two most high-profile days.

A total of 25,255 people crammed into the Curragh for the 2015 Derby  although last year’s attendance dropped significantly to 18,244.

’Champions Weekend’ has been billed as a shop window for Irish racing and its first instalment in 2014 attracted an 11,000 crowd to the Curragh. Last year’s crowd was 9,255.

A switch of venue, similar to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe being switched from Longchamp to Chantilly, was ruled out two years ago when the decision to keep racing at the Curragh through the construction period was taken.

"When Ascot was being developed they moved Royal Ascot to York and the Arc has been moved to Chantilly while Longchamp is being developed. But those tracks were able to replicate the race programmes exactly. There is no other track in Ireland, which has a capacity of over 6,000 people, that could do the same," said Brian Kavanagh.

Leopardstown hosts the first leg of ‘Champions Weekend’ but the HRI chief said the nature of the track doesn’t allow it to host the Curragh programme too.

“The decision was taken two years ago to continue racing at the Curragh. The nature of its sprint races in particular mean a straight track is needed, including over ‘Champions Weekend.’ Where for instance could the Flying Five be run at Leopardstown?” Kavanagh asked.

Leopardstown hosts six furlong races but they are run around a bend and there is a safety capacity in relation to runners.

”What it shows is the importance of the Curragh to the Irish flat programme and how dependant on the Curragh it is. There’s also the question of tradition. The Derby has been run at the Curragh for over 150 years and there’s value in that.

”We should still be able to ensure adequate facilities and a good experience for people. The way I look at it is there may be some short-term pain for long-term gain,” Kavanagh said.