Stablestaff Voice Outrage At 2004 Saturday Night Fixtures The Irish Stablestaff Association has voiced its opposition to the three Saturday night fixtures that are followed by Sunday racing next year, details of which were published in the 2004 fixtures list on Thursday.The dates that are in dispute are May 8 at Kilbeggan followed by Killarney and Leopardstown the following day, May 29 at Limerick and Wexford followed by Limerick on the Sunday, and June 12 at Cork followed by Cork and Roscommon.The Saturday evening meetings on July 3 (Limerick and Leopardstown) and July 24 (Leopardstown and Wexford) are not in dispute because, as with this year, there is no racing the following day.ISA Chairman Dan Kirwan is outraged: 'These have not been agreed and our people have serious reservations about them. They are in breach of the agreement we reached last year. This stated that there would be no racing the following day when there are meetings on Saturday evening.'I voiced our objections earlier in the year and again at the Horse Racing Ireland board meeting on Tuesday. What has been agreed is that a special sub-committee will be set up under the chairmanship of Michael Osborne.'Whacker O'Brien (Dermot Weld's travelling head lad), Paddy Doyle (who is with Michael Halford) and Valerie Keatley will represent us. The committee will review the figures for the two Saturday evening race dates this year as well as the pay structures in a bid to see whether these meetings are really worth the hassle.'There will be a total of 304 racemeeting next year, the same as 2003, with each racecourse retaining the same number of meetings. The schedule has been re-arranged slightly to give five extra National Hunt meetings during the months of January and February.HRI Director of Racing Jason Morris said of the 2004 fixture list: 'Our aim is to continue putting on racing at the times and places where racegoers are most likely to attend and enjoy, while the improved winter programme should greatly assist both trainers and owners.'
