Irish Champions Weekend

Grey

Grey

Senior Jockey
Joined
Jul 4, 2004
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I hope this initiative is a success because the organisers have taken the trouble to put some reasonable deals on offer.

General admission on both days is €20 (€18 online) and a two day ticket can be got online for €30. Leopardstown and the Curragh are both doing an offer of admission, race cards, a table for the day and a 3-course meal for €80, and some decent hotels are combining this offer with two nights accommodation and transfers to the courses for €460.

The first race on the Saturday is off at around 15.40, which leaves plenty of time to get to Dublin on the Saturday morning.

The racing won't be bad either, although I'm surprised that prize money for the Irish Champion Stakes remains at €1m. Instead there has been a boost for other races, with the other four Gr1s worth €300k each, the two Gr2 races €200k, the three Gr3 races €100k and the four handicaps €150k.

If they want to attract good numbers of visitors though they will need to address the matter of getting to the tracks. Leopardstown is easy enough to get to nowadays but the Curragh is 30 miles from Dublin and the trains don't stop there any more (you have to go to Kildare and get a shuttle from there). Bus services from Dublin are operated by www.dublincoach.ie
 
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Grey said:
If they want to attract good numbers of visitors though they will need to address the matter of getting to the tracks. Leopardstown is easy enough to get to nowadays but the Curragh is 30 miles from Dublin and the trains don't stop there any more (you have to go to Kildare and get a shuttle from there). Bus services from Dublin are operated by www.dublincoach.ie
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The Curragh offer a bus service from Dublin and it will be going on the Sunday.

Special Dublin Coach Services available on this race day *

Pickup Point
Departs at: Westmoreland Street 11.30am
Ballsbridge Inn (Old Jurys Hotel) 11.50am
Bewleys Hotel, Leopardstown 12.20pm
Newlands Cross (before the lights) 12.40pm

Return from Curragh 6.30pm
 
I hope it is a success, too. I'll try to attend on both days; Saturdays are always difficult for me, which is why it is very helpful that they have gone with a later start that day.

It amazes me how stuck in its ways UK racing is. Why have so much bad racing on Sundays, with very busy Saturdays? But I guess we have been through that one before. But the late starts for Punchestown, the Irish Derby, the Irish Oaks and Champions Day are very very helpful for punters like me.
 
I'm doing the Champion Stakes Shelbourne Park double. It's easily the highlight of the racing calendar. I expect to have a beer with Mr Bull.
 
When you consider that County admission for one day at York's Ebor meeting is £52 (if you book now...£55 if you leave it) which only includes a racecard, it puts UK courses to shame.
 
I will be there to witness the latest in the series of "I wonder why Slim didn't make it" conversations.

I live near the course and if anybody needs a room for the night I know the location of all the local hotels and can offer directions.
 
edgt said:
Any chance of a flat GWID ?
I shall attend both days if alive for sure.
plenty of win and you are in races over the next month in Ireland for the Champion races.
A very good initiative.
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Could I politely request a translation of the 1st and 3rd sentences here please?

Actually I've just worked out the 3rd.
 
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an capall said:
I will be there to witness the latest in the series of "I wonder why Slim didn't make it" conversations.

I live near the course and if anybody needs a room for the night I know the location of all the local hotels and can offer directions.
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I heard you were rather scathing about me in February. I booked the weekend off in January. The Irish Champion stakes is not to be missed.
 
GWID Great (some say Gay) Weekend In Dublin.
This is where forumites meet and greet and drink and bitch and tell tall tales of punting success and excess and ones that got away and all that.
Usually occurs at leopardstown January weekend meting with Bewleys Leopardstown as base.
 
edgt said:
GWID Great (some say Gay) Weekend In Dublin.
This is where forumites meet and greet and drink and bitch and tell tall tales of punting success and excess and ones that got away and all that.
Usually occurs at leopardstown January weekend meting with Bewleys Leopardstown as base.
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After-timing is actively encouraged.
 
edgt said:
GWID Great (some say Gay) Weekend In Dublin.
This is where forumites meet and greet and drink and bitch and tell tall tales of punting success and excess and ones that got away and all that.
Usually occurs at leopardstown January weekend meting with Bewleys Leopardstown as base.
Click to expand...

Ah ha - knew it was something of the sort - just couldn't recall what.
 
Among the offers are
All registered owners HRI can get a weekend ticket for 20 Euro from Leopardstown racecourse, 8 tickets per owner.
The "Curragh Trail" on Sunday sponsored by DublinCoach include visits to John Oxx, D T Hughes, John Murtagh, Paul Deegan, Irish National Stud, Kildangan Stud and RACE centre.
Coaches visit three of the above and fill on a first come first fill basis.
All in ticket costs an extra fiver or 7 euro for Curragh members.
Full details on www.curragh.ie . Numbers are limited and children are free.
Hopefully the weather will be fair.
 
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