Cork set for €520,000 upgrade

Cork Racecourse is set to undergo a €520,000 upgrade following the approval by Horse Racing Ireland of a capital development grant of over €200,000.

The work will be carried out between now and 2018 with a series of improvements to industry and racegoers' facilities.

The main area of investment will involve upgrading and modernising the stable yard, which was built in 1996 and has had to withstand some extreme weather conditions over the years.

Drainage work will be carried out, new stable doors and lighting will be provided and rain-proofing measures will be taken. The horse box car park will also be resurfaced.

Racegoers will benefit from improvements to the main stand restaurant kitchen, which will be modernised and upgraded, adding greater self-service capacity by reconfiguring the restaurant layout.

Cork Racecourse's parade ring will have a new podium installed along with a specifically designed disabled access platform to the centre of the parade ring from the current raised viewing gallery, which will also include edge protection rails.

Other works to be carried out include new direct access turnstiles which will facilitate the future development of online sales, allowing customers to enter the racecourse with home printed and point of sale tickets. Resources will also go into fencing off the car park and providing course-wide signage.

Cork's application for grant aid in relation to track improvement works will be considered by the HRI Board as part of an overall review of trackworks later in the year.

Brian Kavanagh, CEO of HRI:

"The benefits of investing half a million Euro into the redevelopment of Cork Racecourse will be far-reaching for the trainers, jockeys, owners and stable staff using the facilities every day and the thousands of loyal racegoers who frequent the track. The investment in the stable yard, in particular, will make a huge difference and the disabled access to the new podium in the parade ring is very important."

All 26 racecourses in Ireland are eligible to apply for funding under this scheme with HRI providing 40% of the cost of approved projects. It is estimated that the entire Racecourse Capital Development Fund will support in the region of 1300 direct and indirect jobs during the course of its completion.

Michael O'Neill, Cork Racecourse Manager:

"Our aim in carrying out this major redevelopment at Cork Racecourse Mallow is to provide the best possible experience for all those who attend the 18 fixtures which we stage each year at our facility, both industry professionals and racegoers. Our customers are very important to us, which is why we want them to benefit from the improvements that we are making, including the parade ring modifications and the enhancements to the catering facilities in the main grandstand."