HRI go Flat out for more success
Top trainers Aidan O’Brien, Dermot Weld and John Oxx were on hand yesterday to help launch the Irish summer Flat racing programme in Dublin, which was hosted by HRI.
Kavanagh emphasised the importance of the summer programme, which features the Budweiser Irish Derby on July 2 with a record €1.5 million prize-fund and the new Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million in September.
“Summer accounts for over 60% of attendances at Irish race meetings and increasing numbers of younger people and women are discovering the unique sporting and social atmosphere which a day at the races provides,” he continued.
“The Curragh and Leopardstown have excellent race programmes with world-beating prize money and a blue chip list of sponsors who have brought so much in terms of money, expertise and enthusiasm to these events.”
Curragh manager Paul Hensey and newly-appointed Leopardstown Manager Tom Burke also announced plans for major redevelopment work at each course and outlined the highlights of the summer season.
The big race action begins on Sunday, May 14 with the Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby trial and the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas trial at Leopardstown.
The Curragh hosts the first Classics of the season - the Boylesports 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas - on May 27 and 28. 1000 Guineas day also hosts the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup which is expected to attract many of the top European older horses in training.
The Budweiser Irish Derby takes place on July 2 with a record €1.5 million prize-fund, contributing to an all-time high total prize money pool for the Curragh of €12.5m — a 23% increase.
A major contributor to this growth is the new Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million race to be run on the Tuesday following the Autumn Festival of racing (Saturday and Sunday Sept 16-17) which features the Irish Field St Leger and the Laing O Rourke National Stakes respectively.
The “Million” race is part of the official events programme for the 36th Ryder Cup and will be presented as a major sporting and social event, helping to showcase the Irish thoroughbred industry on a day which hosts the richest race for two year-olds in Europe.
Leopardstown also presents a million euro prize fund for the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes, one of the top-rated Group 1 races in the world, on Saturday, September 9. The Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes will also be on the race card for Leopardstown’s principal flat race-day, with a prize-fund of €250,000.
Meanwhile HRI yesterday announced the appointment of Niall Mackey (38) as Chief Executive, HRI Racecourses Ltd.
He will assume responsibility for the operation of HRI’s racecourse interests at Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan, Tipperary and Cork.
Mr Mackey was formerly General Manager of Nokia Ireland and has worked at senior levels in the IT/telecoms sector. He holds an MBA in Strategy, Marketing and Finance and will be based at Kill Co. Kildare.
This appointment follows the creation of new operating and management structures to deal separately with HRI’s racing and non-racing commercial activities. Former General Manager of HRI Racecourses Ltd, Matt O’Dwyer, will head up the new Property and Commercial Division.
