Leopardstown to invest €12m in next phase of redevelopment
Work on the project — partly funded by a €4.7m grant from Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) — will commence early next year and will see a number of upgrades, most notably a permanent marquee-style pavilion for racegoers between the parade ring and the main entrance, a saddling area beside the parade ring aimed at bringing racegoes closer to the action as well a new weigh room for jockeys.
Work carried out in 2015, including the new Champions Bar, a restaurant and an Owners and Trainers Lounge, will be completed in time for the upcoming Christmas Festival.
“Our vision is to create a facility in Leopardstown that will showcase the best that Irish racing has to offer,” Leopardstown chief executive Pat Keogh said.
“We are delighted to have received support from the HRI Capital Development Scheme. The international interest in this year’s Longines Irish Champions Weekend shows the potential of the sport.
“When we complete the development being announced today, we will have a facility in Dublin that will compare very favourably with the best national and international sports venues.”
It is forecast that this phase of the project will create approximately 145 direct and indirect jobs.
Keogh added: “Leopardstown makes a valuable contribution to our local economy and we hope the benefits of this development will be enjoyed by the hotels, restaurants, bars and shops in our community. It will also generate employment both during the development phase and into the future.”
HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh added: “Leopardstown has been consistently improving its facilities over recent years and further improvements will be evident to racegoers at the forthcoming Christmas Festival.
“This final phase of work will mean that all of Leopardstown’s facilities will have been upgraded over a five year period as befits the home of some of our best National Hunt fixtures and the Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”
