Authorities hoping attendance levels hold up for Champions Weekend

The grim economic outlook means organisers of the upcoming Longines Irish Champions Weekend say they will be very happy if attendance levels for flat racing’s showpiece event reach similar figures to 2019.

Next weekend’s action at Leopardstown and the Curragh, with a prize fund of €3.9 million and featuring half a dozen Group One races, will be the first time in three years that unrestricted crowds can return to the fixture.

The biggest weekend of the flat season was held behind closed doors in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and limited to 4,000 people at each day a year ago.

A total of 23,508 people attended the weekend in 2019 including 13,433 at Leopardstown’s opening leg. That was the second lowest return there since the Champions Weekend format was introduced in 2014.

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Its ninth renewal will take place in the context of a nine per cent reduction in overall attendance levels at Irish race meetings in the first half of 2022 as well as wider economic concerns about the cost of living.

General admission on Saturday next at Leopardstown is €35. General admission on the day at the Curragh will be €40 although cheaper prices can be got at both by booking online before race-day.

“I think everybody is having to make individual choices about where they spend their money. It’s a very competitive market, particularly in Dublin, for what people are going to do,” Tim Husbands, Leopardstown’s chief executive, said on Friday.

“People are being very careful with their money so we’re having to work really hard and look at ways we can bring them in and make it an attractive proposition so they feel they want to enjoy a day’s live sport.”

In terms of prospective levels for a card featuring the €1 million Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, Husbands added: “2019 would be a very good outcome for us. But we’re working hard to make sure it’s an appealing proposition.”

Leopardstown’s Saturday card will again feature the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s world pool betting. Last year’s fixture was the first in Ireland to feature a pool that engages with over 20 racing countries and saw over €17 million wagered on the Leopardsown action in 2021.

The ‘off’ time for the Champion Stakes has fluctuated in recent years and was off at 2.46 last year. This time it is scheduled to start at 3.45.

“It’s a combination of things. It’s a world pool event, making it appealing to the global audience. But we’re also looking at TV schedules etc to make sure it’s connected in because the big race will be shown on ITV. That involves co-ordinating that with the Leger across the way [at Doncaster],” Husbands said.

Heavy rain is forecast over the weekend and a review of the going will take place at Leopardstown on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s important acceptance stage.

Domestic action this weekend has an undoubted element of calm before the storm with two fixtures at Navan and Wexford on Saturday.

Dermot Weld’s Champions Weekend focus will revolve around the Guineas winner Homeless Songs in next Saturday’s Matron and the exciting juvenile Tahiyra in the following day’s Moyglare.

A number of Weld winners this week suggests a largely frustrating season disrupted by a virus in the yard could be turning around and in such a context Zaniyka’s official 82 rating in a maiden at Navan looks noteworthy.

Arinniti’s debut performance when runner-up at Naas in June wasn’t unexpected according to the betting. She has since switched from Natalia Lupini to Paddy Twomey who starts her in the famous Tam Valor colours in the opening juvenile maiden.