Racetracks revise plans for festive season meetings on back of new guidelines

Racing officials are examining the likely impact on the busy Christmas programme from the Government’s new Covid-19 restrictions.

On Friday night Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued a bleak prognosis on the likely impact of the Omicron variant of the virus and predicted "a massive increase" in infection rates over the coming weeks.

As a result, limits on outdoor sporting events of 50 per cent capacity or 5,000 people, whichever is lower, will apply from Sunday to the end of January.

Indoor events will have their capacity halved or a maximum of 1,000 people, whichever is lower.

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The practicalities of how that will work on racecourses have to be worked out ahead of the Christmas festival action which starts on St Stephen’s Day.

The mix of outdoor and indoor attendance at a race meeting, particularly during winter months, makes it less than straightforward.

Any curfew time, however, shouldn’t be an issue for racing with most meetings over before 4pm at this time of year.

St Stephen’s Day is the only triple-programme on Ireland’s racing calendar with Leopardstown and Limerick beginning their four-day festivals and Down Royal also in action.

Earlier this week Leopardstown outlined plans for a 6,000 capacity which was set to be the biggest at the south Dublin course since the pandemic began 20 months ago. Normally the track can cater for crowds up to 18,000.

"Leopardstown note the Government's decision and agree that public health is an absolute priority," the track's chief executive, Tim Husbands, said on Friday night.

“With public health in mind, and prior to this announcement, we had already voluntarily reduced our capacity for our Christmas racing festival and put measures in place to ensure our customers will have a safe and enjoyable experience.

“This evening’s announcement gives us some certainty and over the next 48 hours we will examine the options.

“All those who purchase tickets for the festival will be contacted over the coming days,” he added.

All four days with a 6,000 daily capacity at Leopardstown are sold out.

The course had over 57,000 people through its gate during the 2019 festival but it was held behind closed doors in 2020.

Down Royal’s fixture in the North, with a 3,500 capacity, has been sold out for some time.

It could be some days before arrangements generally are finalised but Limerick is currently working on the basis that it will be able to cater for up to 5,000 spectators each day over Christmas.

Its record crowd was 18,000 when it opened at a new location 20 years ago.

Limerick's interim manager, Paddy Dunican, said: "The Government regulations are going to limit us to 5,000 per day over four days. It will hit us hard on St Stephen's Day in terms of crowd numbers but we will be hoping to attract in the region of 20,000 people over the four days.

“We will be following the Government guidelines. We are putting in a lot of outdoor facilities which will cater for people outdoors. It’s very much going to be an outdoor event.”

Officials at Tramore aim to have a 4,000-strong attendance at its traditional New Year’s Day fixture.

"We have a capacity of 10,000 but we have decided to err on the side of caution," the Tramore manager Owen Byrne said on Friday. "Everything is in place with marquees and other outdoor facilities."

Separately, that will be one of the first meetings held under a new deal between racetracks and on-course bookmakers.

About €500,000 is being invested by the Association of Irish Racecourses in a deal with the Irish National Professional Bookmakers Association will see a shake-up of the pitch fee system over a 12-month trial period in 2022.

It includes abolishing the 0.25 per cent turnover levy and the payment of pitch fees in absence.

The deal ensures a minimum of 10 bookies will be at every meeting, apart from the all-weather at Dundalk where there will be a minimum of eight. If minimum numbers aren’t present, bookmakers with pitches at that track will be charged full fees.