Irish Summer Flat Festival

Bar the Bull

Bar the Bull

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
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Location
Llandubno, West Wales (very west)
Okay, so I have thought about this a few times, and I think I am not the first person to have had this idea.

I think HRI should focus on a high-quality 3-4 day meeting in Dublin, which should attempt to give the top-end of the flat season in Ireland something to base itself around. At the moment, the mid-summer period in Ireland just seems to have a load of mid-standard evening cards in Leopardstown.

I would argue that a few things are missing in Irish racing:

A good 5f race
A Group 1 sprint
An all-age mile race of G1/G2 standard
A 1m4f race of any decent standard.

Would it be possible to arrange a meeting in Leopardstown / Fairyhouse...combine the two of them maybe? Here is my ridiculous idea.

Four day meeting.

Thursday & Sunday in Leop, Friday & Saturday in Fairyhouse.

Obviously the meeting would have to be padded out with handicaps and maidens, but the former could be made pretty attractive, and the latter could be confined to just one a day, if the decent listed and G3 races from Leopardstown midweek schedule could be transferred to the "Festival". Some races would need to come from the Curragh, too.

Am I mad?
 
Why choose Fairyhouse to be part of a flat racing festival? It has no real tradition of flat racing even if it's a decent enough track. The wood chips in the parade ring and unadorned surroundings give it the feel of a hard core NH venue.

The best bet might be to build something around either the Irish Derby or Oaks meetings, but the Curragh is in a poor enough state these days. I know they've had a bad run with weather but how often does the word 'heavy' feature in going descriptions there? If wet summers are to become a regular feature linked to climate change you'd fear for the long term viability of flat racing on grass in Ireland.
 
Not at the Curragh....it is a sh!t hole.

I didn't realise there were no 5f races possible at Fairyhouse. Having a few 5f races was my only reason for going to Fairyhouse.

In that case, let's just have 3-4 days at Leopardstown.
 
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They would have to rebuild the sprint track over the M50.
Not too difficult as they have the straight course over a bridge at Ascot and the 6f start land has not been built on, being derelict.
They are re laying the sprint course at Naas for Group races next year.
They have enough land for a genuine straight 7F at Cork but the locals have no interest in flat racing, preferring PtoP.
Rain Rain And more Rain are the 3 reasons why it would not catch on!
 
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An all-weather track in the south is what's needed - a decent programme for good ground horses throughout the "summer". Still probably have the room to do it at Limerick although they should have thought of it at the time Limerick was being re-developed.

There are plenty of good 5f sprints throughout May, June and early July but very little until September.

There is only one race for 5f sprinters rated over 75 between now and 2013... Who actually compiles the program...it's a complete joke!
 
Thursday evening meetings at Leopardstown or Tipperary are what the summer flat is all about. I think we need more meetings at Dundalk.
 
Surely not, Slim. The sprint track at the Curragh is too much of a battle for the real speed merchants. It also has a strong draw bias (up to last season at any rate, I haven't been paying much attention this year), being on the stands rail is a big advantage. Most of the field can be safely written off in races over the 5f course at Bellewstown, the 7f and 8f races at Galway or 9f at Ballinrobe.

The Phoenix Park is still missed, there have been far fewer decent sprinters out of Ireland since it closed. There used to always be at least one about the place.
 
Would you up the Tatt's Gold Cup to 12f, the Royal Whip to Gr1 or create a completely new race? When would you stage it?
 
Grey said:
Would you up the Tatt's Gold Cup to 12f, the Royal Whip to Gr1 or create a completely new race? When would you stage it?
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The Tatts Gold Cup has become a farce. When considering any changes to races ion this country it's worth remembering I'd that the only people who will benefit in the long run are Coolmore and Ballydoyle.
 
The Tatts Gold Cup has become a farce.
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The whole programme of racing in the spring is weaker than it used to be because of the shift in the calendar towards the big international races in the autumn. The Coronation Cup is not what it was either.
 
Bar the Bull said:
That doesn't mean anything, Slim.

Why is there no opportunity for good 1m4f older horses? Why are there no decent sprints?
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There are no decent sprinters. Why is everyone so obsessed with sprinting when breeders don't try to breed sprinters?
 
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