Dundalk Receives Lukewarm HRI Reception

Dundalk racecourse's chances of building Ireland's first ever all-weather track seem to have dwindled after receiving a lukewarm reception to its proposals at a board meeting of Horse Racing Ireland at Galway on Tuesday.

The racecourse, which closed in 2001, also seems highly unlikely to re-open as a turf venue.

However, the racecourse directors remain hopeful of obtaining a grant from HRI that would enable them to convert the track to an all-weather surface, and renovate the already existing facilities that have deteriorated recently.

The Dundalk directors had originally estimated this work would cost ?10million. A consortium of local businessmen has agreed to put up ?4million with the remainder coming from a HRI grant. However, the HRI board was told on Tuesday that the cost had increased to ?13.7million, with HRI being asked to contribute ?9.5million.

HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said on Thursday: 'We have as part of our strategic plan the development of a ten-furlong floodlit all-weather track to be built close to an urban centre and run on a commercial basis. Failing that we would look at a low-cost industry all-weather.

'I see Dundalk as a something of a halfway house. It meets some of the criteria but not others, and the difficulty that has arisen is the cost and the size of the grant. They are looking for 70 per cent, and that is much in excess of that we have in our budgets.

'I have been instructed to meet Dundalk to look at the figures with them and see if the costs can be reduced. I am then to report back to the board, with a recommendation, in September or October.

'This morning I informed the Dundalk people that at the present cost I couldn't recommend approval of their submission. It would have to be scaled down or the costs revised.'

Kavanagh also said there were issues relating to the layout of the track.

Racecourse director Colm McCourt said yesterday that the increased cost was partly due to the price of the actual all-weather surface (#5.5million) but also to the expense involved in building a new stable yard and an administration building.

He added: 'We are providing the land and a state of the art stand. The ?4 million investment is already in place provided we get the HRI grant while the radius of the bends is the same as has been approved for the new track to be built in Essex.

'What we have submitted to HRI is really only a discussion document and what we are saying is that we want this all-weather track, and that we want HRI to tell us what we have to do to get it.

'I remain optimistic and I also believe that there is no earthly reason why we should not be able to get the go-ahead for this project.'

However Kavanagh said that he had already informed the board of the uncertainty about Dundalk's future as a racecourse.

He said: 'I have expressed doubts to the directors that in the absence of an all-weather it could reopen as a grass course.'