Deauville

finbarrk

Anyone been racing in Deauville? I'm thinking of giving a run there on Sunday. I'm on hols about an hour away. There is a few group races on there.

convert

Did you get to the races in the end? How was it?

I've only been to Deauville once, but unfortunately I missed the races by one day (I was competing over there so unfortunately my time wasn't my own).

finbarrk

Yeah, it was great. 2 group one races and a group two and a group three, entry fee of only €4, free racecard that would cost €4 in other places.
Kieran Fallon was in hard luck on his two rides, beaten into second twice by a short head and a neck. Richard Hughes and Frankie were also there.
I didn't meet any Irish people there but had a few drinks with an English couple who come over to it every August.
It was really family orientated with loads of tables outside for people to enjoy their packed lunch if they wished. Also free pony rides, playground, amusements, etc. for kids.
Lots of fashion there too.

convert

Wow... It certainly seems like they really put a huge effort into attracting a non-racing crowd to the day, as well as the 'usual' suspects...

What was the prize money like on the day, do you know/can you remember?

4 euro plus a free racecard is really good value. The idea of a free racecard with entry is a good idea, makes the day a little more affordable.

UrbanSea

Even a sheet with a bit of information on the runners would be good,and at 4 euro entry for a group day,that's brilliant.

convert

Have another question for you, finbarrk....

Were there many people at the meeting that day?

finbarrk

Huge prizemoney, €300k for the Prix Morny (2yo), and €250k for the other group 1.
It wasn't that crowded there, nothing like Ascot or Cheltenham anyway. I would say about 6 - 8,000 maybe, definatley not more than that. There is just one grandstand there and that seemed to be a ticket job. Most spectators watched from the grass bank in front of the grandstand.
A Heineken was €3 but it was only a glass, and no queue to get it either.
The pmu (tote) windows were seperated into €2, €10 and €20 minimum bet windows so if you were having a good bet you wouldn't have to be waiting behind a queue of women and young lads doing €2 trios, etc. as the €2 windows seemed to be the most popular.

Sprouts

greetings wrote: »

Even a sheet with a bit of information on the runners would be good,and at 4 euro entry for a group day,that's brilliant.

Thats great value, in Leopardstown we have to pay 3 or 4 times that, but I suppose the rest of the money goes towards the cost of having Kevin Ryan reading out the racecard in the parade ring to us at blaring levels.

Nulty

Therer was only 9,000 at the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown so thats a reasonable turnout. Can it hold much more? Did it look full?

Sprouts

Nulty wrote: »

Therer was only 9,000 at the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown so thats a reasonable turnout. Can it hold much more? Did it look full?

St Stephens day is their biggest day of the year, they always seem to get over the 14000 mark. You don't mind paying top dollar for the big days, but for average cards I don't think you should have to.

Nulty

Sprouts wrote: »

St Stephens day is their biggest day of the year, they always seem to get over the 14000 mark. You don't mind paying top dollar for the big days, but for average cards I don't think you should have to.

My question was referring to Deauville but I hear its hard to breathe at Leopardstown at Christmas. Talking to the bar staff they say its packed out. Busiest day supposedly Stephans' like you say. I'm gonna go up for the Lexus this year. Its only a 30 minute walk so its handy.

finbarrk

Nulty wrote: »

Therer was only 9,000 at the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown so thats a reasonable turnout. Can it hold much more? Did it look full?

It could have held a good bit more than the 6-7000 that were there.
I would have thought that Leopardstown would have more than 14,000 on the big days as someone else said on here.

Nulty

Gary O'Brien said it was 9,000 on ATR. That may have been for 2009. I'm not sure but I was there in 2009 although I didn't do a head count, it wasn't full cause people were paying in at the door last year.

I think "the big days" they refer to are the Christmas festival

finbarrk

Yeah, that's what I meant by the big days, Christmas, Hennessy, Pearse hurdle, etc.