Crowds of up to 4,000 permitted for each day of Irish Champions Weekend

Irish racing will welcome back sizeable crowds for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began when 4,000 people will be permitted to attend each day of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend fixture this month, although officials have defended the decision not to cater for greater numbers.

From Monday, government advice allows for up to 50 per cent capacity at outdoor sports venues when admitting a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people, with Horse Racing Ireland revealing 4,000 people can attend each day of Irish Champions Weekend, a meeting split between Leopardstown on September 11 and the Curragh on September 12.

HRI also revealed just 2,000 people will be allowed to attend each day of the Listowel harvest festival which starts on Sunday, September 19.

Listowel's week-long gala will be an outdoor-only event, while Irish Champions Weekend will have some indoor facilities open for those with vaccine certificates. Provided there is no surge in Covid numbers, it is expected full capacity at racecourses will return from October 22.

Explaining the reasoning, HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: “The capacity of a racecourse is being decided on indoor and outdoor capacities. There are Failte Ireland [tourism authority] restrictions in terms of the numbers that can be seated in bars and restaurants so that has an immediate impact on capacity, as does social distancing.

“There is still a requirement to wear masks, and to be two metres apart outdoors. It's a matter for individual racecourses to decide their policy on capacity and you're talking about something that's on in less than a fortnight's time, so those are the numbers they have landed on.”

Leopardstown averaged 13,943 people on day one of Irish Champions Weekend from 2015 to 2019, with 17,783 attending on day two of the Christmas festival in 2016. The track’s manager Tim Husbands said outdoor capacity is 8,000, and therefore couldn’t permit any more than 4,000 on September 11.

“The legislation allows us to have 50 per cent capacity of our outdoor space, not including indoor areas," he said on Thursday. "Our outdoor capacity is 8,000, and you have to consider all the Covid protocols still apply – it's two metres of social distancing outdoors.

“We've had to take all of that into account and we've obviously been engaging with the medical practitioners. It's a huge increase on the 500 we've had previously and we're delighted to get that many, but we're not the same as a sports stadium.”

Brian Kavanagh: 'We are on a graduated return back'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Kavanagh acknowledged that the short lead-in time presented its own logistical challenges to Leopardstown and the Curragh.

He also suggested that because of the need to retain indoor spaces for key workers on racedays, Listowel was at a disadvantage compared to Leopardstown and the Curragh with a view towards the number of people it could safely welcome back.

Kavanagh said: “Listowel is an outdoor-only event as they have greater restrictions on their indoor facilities. They still intend to use some of those facilities for jockeys, stewards and press, whereas Leopardstown and the Curragh intend to revert to pre-Covid arrangements whereby those people can frequent their usual areas.

“We are on a graduated return back. When you talk about those capacity crowds, people are shoulder to shoulder around the parade ring and betting ring, things like that. That is not permitted under the current guidelines. It's very clear that social distancing is still expected, as is mask wearing.”

He added: “Staffing and the supply chain is challenging in the current environment as well. It was never going to be a case of flicking a switch and turning things straight back on, but hopefully that will come after October 22.

“That's the real beauty of Tuesday's announcement, in my view. You can look to plan towards Christmas or next year with the confidence of having full crowds.”

Tickets for Irish Champions Weekend will go on sale on Friday to those who have registered their interest in advance, with the remainder of tickets going on general sale on Monday.

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