Listowel a quite phenomenal success story
In a country where the big buzzword currently is NAMA (No All-Ireland Medal Again!) and with doom and gloom to be found literally everywhere you go, Listowel was an oasis in the proverbial desert.
A bit like the Kerry football team, the Festival began slowly, but eventually built up to a huge crescendo.
Wednesday, Kerry National Day, attracted almost 27,000 patrons. Thursday had over 18,000 and Friday, Ladies’ Day, was nothing short of extraordinary.
If you want to boost your attendance have a Ladies’ Day, because experience teaches us they are a major boom for racecourses.
To get just under 25,000 down to Kerry on a Friday, in the middle of a massive recession, left you almost flabbergasted.
The total attendance at Listowel was in excess of 90,000, which was more than they could squeeze into Croke Park on Sunday for Cork and Kerry. That, I think, puts things into perspective.
The betting, both with the books and Tote, held up reasonably well and there’s little doubt that this country has plenty of people who still have buckets of old dosh.
Of course, a series of favourable results for punters was a big help and many bookmakers were out for the count long before the final bell tolled.
Years ago, Listowel was regarded as the real start of the National Hunt season, but those days are long gone.
The truth is that it won’t really get moving for a number of weeks yet. What Listowel has going for it, however, is a massive tradition and a committee who clearly know the right buttons to press and how to get the mix between the serious nature of racing and that sense of fun just right.
Tuesday’s all-flat programme came in for it’s share of criticism, but such thinking left me more than puzzled.
I mean if you fancy three horses, and they all bolt in, then instead of knocking what was on offer, surely it is far better to luxuriate on what has just been achieved! In other words, just count the money.
As well as that very important factor, the attendance was almost on a par with Sunday’s, which had an all National Hunt card.
There were some notable performances, although how relevant they will be as the campaign progresses remains to be seen.
Faltering Fullback is a horse who should hold his own when the big guns start to emerge in the novice chase department.
He was good at Listowel, considering it was his first run for some time, and over fences, and was meeting a number of rivals who had to be fitter than him.
Augustusthestrong’s price to win a maiden was hard to understand. He arrived on the back of a cracking effort at Dundalk, in a far better contest, and was odds-on in the morning.
He had to be even shorter on track, didn’t he? But no, nearly everyone on a box began to hawk him and he was available all over the ring at evens.
He won by a street and you would be a long time waiting to get a return of 100% from our ‘august’ - get it - institutions.
Willie Mullins won two bumpers, with Flat Out and the rather quaintly named newcomer, Quinfromcloonbunny and, you’d imagine, they will not be forgotten horses by Christmas.
And what do we make of Crossdresser, following his performance on Saturday? He was the horse who was the medium of that stewards’ inquiry at the Punchestown Festival back on April 29.
The stewards decided he had not been allowed to run on his merits, after finishing third, and he was suspended for 60 days, rider, Shane McCann, for 21 days and trainer, Gavin Cromwell, fined €2,000.
At the time there was a feeling with many people that this was a case of hammering the small man (Cromwell).
After all Crossdresser was a 66-1 shot and was also 66-1 on his only previous outing over hurdles, at Fairyhouse. Add in the fact that he came off the flat, where he was very moderate, and it made you wonder.
You might have felt the bookmakers would be terrified on Saturday, given the stewards opinion of Crossdresser, but none of the generous offers dried up in the morning and he was friendless on-track as well.
Crossdresser could only manage a poor sixth behind Truxton King and couldn’t have been an inch closer.
More water has to flow under the bridge, obviously, but right now you’d think Cromwell might have a case for getting that two grand back!
Ruby Walsh had a solid enough Listowel, with one bookmaker revealing the trouble the pilot has caused for him with his wife.
He said he has been muttering “Ruby, Ruby’ in his sleep, due to all the money Walsh has cost him over the years.
The wife, suspecting our man might actually be gay, had it out with him but was, apparently, happy enough with the explanation tendered.
One day at Listowel, Davy Rusell was walking out to ride in a race when a young kid shouted across at him: “Are you Ruby?’ Quick as a flash Russell retorted: “No, but I wish I was.”
Great or what and the pockets bulging! Roll on another terrific seven days next year, I say.
