Successful return of racegoers at the Irish Derby The return of racegoers for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby has been lauded by the 1,000 plus in attendance at the Curragh yesterday and hopefully marks the start of a gradual return to normality for the industry. The pilot event follows on from the return of a limited return of racegoers at Down Royal the previous weekend and, from this reporter’s perspective, it was heart-warming to hear cheers and laughter compared with the eerie silence at racecourses over the past 12 months. Ado McGuinness, who saddled Sirjack Thomas for a surprise 25/1 victory in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap and had five runners on the afternoon, summed up the feelings of many trainers saying, “The buzz here today compared to last year is brilliant. It’s great to see people back and enjoying themselves. Hopefully it will last and we can get them back again. “We’ve had 20 guys down today from syndicates and every one of our passes have been used up today. They just want to get back racing.” Jessica Harrington, successful with Cadillac in the Group 3 ARM Holding International Stakes, also relished the atmosphere saying, “It’s fantastic and there are people to see. I’ve seen people here that I haven’t seen for 15 or 16 months. “I’ve been able to have a glass of wine and there is a great vibe. It’s great to be able to sit down at a table and have a bit to eat.” Evan Arkwright, Racing and Sponsorship Manager at the Curragh Racecourse, said, “Everything has been very positive. The crowds have been very compliant and people have been very well behaved. The green zone for the public and members has worked really well. “People are just delighted to be having a day out and hopefully this is the start of bringing crowds back on a more regular basis during the summer.” Arkwright was also very happy with the competitive nature of the action on track adding, “It’s been a brilliant day’s racing and a great renewal of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. It was great to have two English runners as it’s not easy bringing horses over at the moment. “There was also a great spread of trainers winning races — we had eight different trainers and riders successful on today’s card.” The government will decide this week whether to further ease COVID restrictions which could allow 500 people on track with the possibility of further pilot days with larger crowds.
