Hensey rues unfortunate clash
Hensey was speaking at last night’s launch at the K Club Hotel of the Dubai Duty Free Derby Irish Derby Festival, which begins on Friday, June 24 and concludes two days later with Derby day.
The Curragh has been contending with fixture clashes of this nature for many years and Hensey reveals that he had discussions with GAA chiefs last year about trying to avoid some of them for the track’s marquee events.
“Some years Kildare go the back door route and sometimes they go straight through and this year unfortunately we met it on the wrong leg,” said Hensey. “I was disappointed with that because we had a good relationship with the GAA.
“Obviously the big event from a crowd point of view will probably be Croke Park with 60,000 or 70,000 people there, but I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interests to be clashing on a day like that when we’ll have 20,000 or 25,000. I’m sure we’re going to have people with us that would ordinarily be in Croke Park. So it will hurt the GAA, maybe not as much as it would hurt us, but it will certainly hurt us both.
“We had discussions last year with the GAA and we’ve always tried if we can to avoid certain things but it’s very hard. There are only so many Sundays in the summer. The Heineken Cup - inevitably there’s an Irish team involved - so that has clashed with the Guineas for the last few years. It’s very hard to pre-empt it.
The game will be shown on a big screen at the track, the Good Food Ireland Village providing the best of Irish produce will be worth the price of admission alone and there is also the not inconsiderable matter of the €12,000 valued 5-star holiday to Dubai on offer to the winner of the Dubai Duty Free most stylish lady.
“It’s as much a social event as a sporting event. There are people who come and never see a horse from one end of the day to the next. It’s a great stylish day without being very formal. People can dress up if they choose to.”
There are 48 horses still in contention to follow in the hooves of Selim, the first winner of Ireland’s most prestigious Classic in 1866. Aidan O’Brien has won the race eight times and is aiming his Epsom contingent – Treasure Beach (2nd), Memphis Tennessee (4th), Recital (6th) and Seville (10th) — at this year’s renewal as he aims for a barely credible six-in-a-row.
A quick return to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth to support her Epsom third, Carlton House would be Hensey’s dream though.
“The horse we’d all love to get would be Carlton House. It would be great to have the Queen back again and obviously it would bring a great buzz. But Sir Michael Stoute won’t be forced into making a decision on that by me!
“But he is a big fan of the Irish Derby and it would be on the radar for him. I’d imagine he’s just evaluating things after Epsom and may make a decision towards the middle of next week.”
