Bumper crowds: 'You can come and have fun and not make gambling a dirty word' It was encouraging to see positive attendance figures reported across several racecourses over the Christmas period. Cheltenham enjoyed a strong New Year's Day crowd, Punchestown was well attended on New Year's Eve with free entry at the gate, and Cheltenham recorded its best-ever New Year's Day attendance, up around 6,000 on previous highs at roughly 44,000. Leopardstown also staged a hugely successful Christmas Festival, and overall the figures suggest the public appetite for racing is very much alive. Racing remains a great sport, and there is a strong case that it should be promoted more confidently rather than constantly defended. While welfare is essential, there appears to be far more focus and funding directed there than toward selling the sport itself. Come Racing! Paddy Flood said on the Irish Angle this week: "It is a great sport. You know, we should be selling it more and not worrying about it more, and there is probably more money going to welfare issues than there is to promoting the sport, which in my opinion is wrong." "We should be able to puff our chests out there and say, "Listen, come racing. You'll have a great day, you'll have a bet, you can have a pint and none of that is illegal, by the way. You can come and have fun and not make gambling, a dirty word." The Christmas period was helped by crisp, inviting weather, encouraging families to get out, and racecourses like Punchestown deserve credit for their free entry and creating a welcoming atmosphere where people genuinely feel wanted. Johnny Ward added: "Punchestown were free and fair play to them, you know, to see El Fabiolo win a race like that for free and it's such a great course for families now - they want you there." Leopardstown take note Leopardstown, meanwhile, should take note and ask how to translate the success of its jumps festivals into stronger flat racing attendances, particularly during the summer. The Christmas crowds showed what is possible when the experience is right. Johnny Ward 'Leopardstown can't rest on their laurels because the flat experience of Leopardstown has become an absolute joke and they need to improve that.' The atmosphere at Leopardstown over Christmas was as good as it has been in years, with crowds fully engaged and visibly enjoying the racing. By contrast, flat racing in Ireland continues to struggle to generate the same buzz, especially when compared with venues like Ascot. Leopardstown's flat racing experience, in particular, needs urgent improvement. Perhaps The Curragh and Leopardstown could learn a few things from the Punchestown team. Still, the overall message from Christmas racing is a positive one: people want to go racing, and when the product, pricing and atmosphere are right, they will turn up in force.
