Demise of the Irish Derby

Handicapper has given Sovereign a rating of 118 up from 105. AVD unchanged at 118 .

Been to the ‘new’ Curragh 3 times since it opened including the Derby on Saturday.
No doubt it’s a fine building but it’s definitely lacking something….
A few things I observed :
Official opening Sunday there was a weird eerie sound blowing through the new stand. Must depend on the way the wind is blowing as it wasn’t there last Saturday.
I’m not sure about the location of the bookies , just seems out of place someway.
Nowhere near enough temporary sales areas with tea / water, sweets , etc. The queues for the food and (mens) toilets were very long. Not good enough for a new build.
I wouldn’t be happy with the lay out under the new stand either. The Paddy Power set up is a disaster. It’s a small opening with the staff , who were doing a great job under extreme pressure, with people falling over each other to get to the counter. Weirdly there was 1 smallish TV showing the racing from other meetings that was in front of the betting desk so people watching the racing were in the way of the people trying to get to the counter. And to make matters worse the sound for the other races is down further where the PP prices are so you can’t even hear the commentary.
Seems to be a lot of wasted space in there. I would move PP into the open space like the Tote kiosks and put another bar in where PP is.
The bar upstairs was 6 deep at times. This opened out to a seated area which is great for the crowds except its covered so gets no sun and has a breeze blowing through it. Maybe glass could be put up at the side of the stand to block the wind.
There was a massive queue all day for the ATM in there while there was another ATM at the other side of the track that people didn’t seem to know about.
The parade ring is lovely but it’s hard to get a good view of the horses when it was busy like Saturday. Something like Cheltenham’s parade ring surroundings would have been better.
That’s just off the top of my head! I’m grumpy today! 😊

The Tetrarch wrote: »

I was there for the 2000 Guineas.
The whistling stand was unbearable.

When I visited the toilet there was two toilet cubicles in the gents I visited.
Do they expect a crowd of about twenty at a race meeting?

I was taken aback by that. I was also there at the Guineas where it wasn't exactly jammed, yet the toilet situation was still dire. I was expecting that to improved as part of the facility upgrade.

I have to say though it was still an improved experience was from last year's Derby day which was possibly my worst course experience ever.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/curragh-chief-executive-derek-mcgrath-confirms-departure-1.3956361

Appears all is not well

Darc19 wrote: »

We have a group from work going on Saturday and plan to bring chill bags with cans and Aldi's very handy 1.5l malbec pouch along with sandwiches.

Hopefully we'll get it through as the stories from the Derby were horrifying.

Anyone know if you can go out of the course and back easily? (that would allow a few drinks be kept in an icebox in one of the cars)

Not a chance you will he allowed in and out with bags of cans or even cans full stop. If you’re caught with drink not bought at the track you’ll be escorted out and rightly so. The Curragh isn’t a music festival for Christ’s sake. I understand that you don’t want to be queuing for ages for a drink but I’d be embarrassed to walk around a racecourse with a bag of cheap cans under my jacket.

"Brian Kavanagh declined to comment when asked if he’d undermined McGrath’s position with his post-Derby festival comments. However he did say: “I wish Derek well and thank him for the work that he’s done.”"

LOL.

Brian Kavanagh is the HRI guy who was defending the deal done with Racing TV.

Heads in the sand.

Today the owners & trainers marquee they had to put in after the opening day was divided. A third was still serving food to the O&Ts and the other two-thirds was a public bar with two bars, loads of TV screens and even live music from a two man band in one corner.

Went in there twice during the day, after the Scurry and then watched the Ladies Derby there while following the golf for a bit. Less than eight punters in there both times, staff standing around looking at each other. Presume this was set up as a reaction to the derby queues but no idea how they expect people to find this from the main stand.

You also have the farce of all the Oaks runners being saddled in the old pre-parade ring which is completely hidden away behind the new one.

There was also filming going on for some TV show/Film. They had these extras in a group in the middle of the stand. They would start shouting and cheering before and during a race as if they were watching a head-to-head finish. Very distracting and even went on during the feature races.

padraig47 wrote: »

we can hope for changes under the new management. They deserve some time

They really don’t. They spent €81m to get the track fit for purpose and had plenty of time to do it with what should have been the best architects and builders around based on the spend. Deserve some time to do what? Throw more good money after bad? They’ve thrown enough money down the drain.

The end result is abysmal. Yesterday was my first day in the new facility and it’s awful. Boring, soulless and not well equipped. Heads should roll over this and making McGrath the fall guy is plain wrong. Kavanagh is on the board and lounges around in an office 30 seconds drive away from the track. After all his carry on over the years, for him to throw McGrath under the bus is one of his worst stunts. I’m sure McGrath has his faults but he isn’t to blame for any of this, he had no power and no say whatsoever and anyone who thinks he does needs to shake themselves up.