HRI hoping for 5,000 at ICW and Listowel as general attendances set to rise

Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh has confirmed submissions have been made to the government for up to 5,000 people to attend Irish Champions Weekend and the Listowel harvest festival.

While Kavanagh wouldn’t be drawn on how confident he is that the requests will be favourably received, it is understood there is now willingness within government to increase numbers in the coming weeks, although there may be more scope to do that at the two ICW venues than at Listowel.

Pressure has been growing on the authorities to increase attendances, with racing’s lack of numbers relative to other sports a regular focus in the Racing Post.

Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill said on Thursday he has been in contact with the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, and expects the number of spectators allowed to attend a race meeting will increase from the current limit of 500.

That rise, which could see the figure double to 1,000, is expected to come into play next month despite the fact that there will be no further easing of Covid restrictions in many other sectors of the country until the end of September.

Cahill said: “I have contacted the minister on this issue. Racing is an outdoor activity and when we see the attendances at other sports – soccer, GAA etc – being increased, it’s time to review the figures permitted at horseracing and allow greater numbers back at the racetracks. I would expect the numbers will increase.”

Cahill was not in a position to elaborate further but one government source suggested the numbers permitted at the Curragh and Leopardstown over Irish Champions Weekend could exceed those allowed at Listowel, on the basis that those venues may be in a better position to cater for 5,000 people.

Some of HRI’s communications with government departments have explored the prospect of fully vaccinated people being allowed to access indoor hospitality at racecourses as a method of increasing numbers on site.

However, partly due to the Covid protocols in place for jockeys and stewards, it is unclear if that will be allowed, and continued restrictions on those facilities could complicate matters for Listowel at its seven-day festival.

“There will be an increase,” the government source said. “It would obviously be a lot easier to cater for 5,000 at Leopardstown or the Curragh than it would be at Listowel.

Listowel: seven-day harvest festival starts on September 19Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"There could be a situation where there are pilot events at Leopardstown and the Curragh where 5,000 are permitted, but that wouldn’t necessarily mean the same number of people would be in attendance at Listowel. If you take the GAA stadia, they have different levels of numbers allowed back, with Croke Park being able to accommodate a lot more than the likes of O’Connor Park in Tullamore, and racing could be the same.”

Kavanagh gave details on the submissions made to the government and suggested continued relaxation of the rules surrounding indoor dining will be crucial to HRI’s bid to welcome 5,000 people back to both festivals in September.

Kavanagh said: “We have made a submission to up the numbers at Irish racetracks generally from 500 to 1,000 people. In line with indoor dining, we are looking for numbers of up to 5,000 people at Irish Champions Weekend and at Listowel. We are awaiting an outcome.

“The resumption of indoor dining, which appears to have gone successfully since July 29, is a significant factor in the submissions.”

Pat Healy, chairman of Listowel racecourse, outlined the importance of indoor dining being available if 5,000 people are permitted on each day of the harvest festival.

Healy said: “We recognise all the hard work that Brian Kavanagh and everyone in Horse Racing Ireland are doing to get people back on the racetrack. If there were 5,000 people at Listowel, or anywhere around that number, it would be most welcome. However, we would need the buildings to be fully operational – we would need our bars and restaurants to be open – to cater for that number of people.”

He added: “If we don’t have the use of our buildings, we would have to use marquees and, for a meeting in mid-September, we're not guaranteed nice weather. With that in mind, we’d be conscious of providing the best raceday experience for racegoers.”

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