Ruby Walsh: Things change but the Galway Festival keeps on delivering

The City of the Tribes will put on a show this week.

David Holland puts the final finishing touches to the Galway racecourse before the start of the Galway Races Festival. Photo: Ray Ryan

Things change. The All-Ireland finals have concluded before Galway race week starts, and instead of just those out of the championship appearing in the crowd to let off steam with the thousands of others doing the same, the champions will have that option too. More likely, it will be those who lost the recent finals who turn up, as the winners parade around their county to enjoy the adulation they deserve.

Those parties will be localised to county towns and villages and attended mainly by loyal county people. Still, this afternoon Galway City will open its doors to the nation, as it always does, and the party will begin.

It is a festival - a proper one - with the racing being the daily excuse for people to have fun and enjoy themselves. Monday evening will see the amateur riders take centre stage in the Connacht Hotel Handicap. With ground conditions likely to be on the softer side, the quality of horses on show will continue to rise as it has in recent years.

The meeting has often thrown up a future Flat star, but since Galway started to apply more water to the ground in recent years, it has also attracted higher-profile jump names.

This has altered the roll of honour and reduced what people term “fairytale” results, but last year, the big two - the Plate and Hurdle - went to small yards. The Shark Hanlon and Tony Martin fan clubs filled the Ballybrit parade ring in anticipation of the celebrations that would ensue, and I doubt very much water was taken on board from there.

There has to be enjoyment in life, and the scenes in Galway portray that year in and year out. We all know this enjoyment should be done responsibly and in moderation and yet, as society puts more pressure on those consuming alcohol to drink less and those having a bet to be even more careful, has it created and fueled the rise in social drug use? I can’t figure it out, but not many professions random test employees outside of sports. What amazes me even more is how racing seems to be the only sport with competitors taking these illegal substances.

I can hear you now: how is cocaine or marijuana or any other social drug a performance-enhancer? Well, I firmly believe that any substance which helps your mindset in the build-up to or during any sporting occasion is performance-altering and often enhancing.

Alcohol will affect your BMI and leave you dehydrated the next day, which is not the condition any athlete wants to meet their coach in. Cocaine does neither and it allows people to train as usual the day after.

Alcohol will also give people Dutch courage, which is why horse racing and motorsports, predominately, test for it, and marijuana takes the edge off nerves. You might be thinking at this stage, ‘what?’ but people under pressure will try anything. Cocaine gives a lift, sparks energy and could be used to allow people to release nervous energy to induce sleep.

Dress it up and dress it down, but these illegal social drugs can all be taken to help performance, yet for some reason it appears that only my former colleagues use it. Unless you live under a rock, you can admit to yourself that cocaine use is rampant in society.

Racing has “caught” six people in the last three years and handed out sufficient bans, but racing has found them because it is looking for them. Gearoid Brouder received a four-year ban last week for a positive test result, three years of which were suspended, opening a door for him to return in 12 months provided he follows the IHRB protocols. Dabble if you wish but breaking the rules of the IHRB and the law of the land could cost you, and surely there is an example in that.

We look at our sports stars to set examples for the generations who will follow, but sadly they won’t always be the right example. I doubt the IHRB has eradicated the use of social drugs in the weighing room, but at least it is looking. The few positive results highlight the issue but the hundreds of negatives highlight the example people should be setting and that’s the message we want, but need more sports to be showing.

Horse racing is too small to impact society and does not get everything right. Still, maybe because I have four daughters, this is one example society and all other sporting organizations should follow. I understand that many people are willing to turn a blind eye to what people do socially, but why is using social drugs so acceptable when it contributes zero to the exchequer and costs the health sector millions?

What has any of this to do with Galway? A lot, because this festival will contribute a considerable amount to the economy in the west. Much of that money will be spent in shops, hotels and bars fueled by drinking and gambling, but the bigger question is how much the economy will lose from the deals not being looked at.

Horse racing may only be scraping the surface, but consequences affect every choice we make, and racing is trying to make its competitors choose wisely.

It’s time to land the plane, enjoy the week, and start looking for winners.