Phoenix Park Racecourse

The Heinz 57 was a straight 5f dash,if I recall correctly anything over 6f  to 1ml 2f was run clockwise but the 1ml 4f was run anticlockwise with the race starting behind the stand and out of view of the public.Considering it's location and the quality of racing there the crowds were miserly except for the "big" meetings.

I loved the place,it had the best parade ring you'll ever see overlooked by a bandstand,I attended my first flat meeting there as a boy and a horse called Say Cheese trained by Mick O Toole won the first race,back then the big name jockeys were Ray Carroll (father of the two current lads),George McGrath,Buster Parnell,Christy Roche.

I distinctly remember a young apprentice girl jockey Joanna Morgan pipping a certain Lester Piggott in a photo finish.

Not sure why it closed but I think there was a frustration and lack of patience on behalf of the owners of the track back then as it's potential was huge if it could have lasted out for a few more years as things picked up here.

It closed in October 1990 and at the time of its closure its attendances were second only to Galway in the country,its betting was second only to Galway in the country.
The Heinz57 was originally called the fifteen hundred as that was in pounds the original prize money they raced over 5 furlongs later increased to 6 furlongs.Darkie Prendergast farmed out this race and won it six years in a row.
Sangster got a Ballydoyle centred syndicate together and bought it,they first wanted to build a casino there,they then suggested a graveyard both turned down,unlike the Clarkes of Leopardstown when the Racing Board approached them with a view to buying it and preserving the racing they demanded full whack.Eventually they sold it to builders and after many years lying idle it was built on.

My recollection is they ran clockwise indeed the original Champion Bumper was run there.It was very picturesque but a poor viewing track in that the horses were running at you,also had a notoriously difficult camera angle and you never knew what won in photo finishes.

The track was left handed in that they always passed the post from the left. However depending on the distance of a race horses could race anticlockwise for some distance before running into the left hand straight and finish. When I was a kid(60's-70's) I walked, cycled and was driven to the place on occasion by the old man. The latter journey always ended with a drink or two in the Halfway House which was a hive of activity before and after racing. I have the fondest memories of the place even though I had some dreadful days there. It had a unique character with the most wonderfully placed parade ring that I have ever come across. On entering the track youd hear the Artane Band playing their music on top of the bandstand.The preparade ring on the left with a tree lined walk to the actual parade ring. While the stands were aged they were magnificent in comparison with most of todays stands. Of course it was impossible to determine the winner in a photo because of the track and stands locations but it added to the excitement if your horse was involved. Once Baldoyle closed racing started there onPaddys Day and they went on till October. It was a magical place to be on a Summers evening as they stands faced the West and youd stay long after racing on a fine evening either drowning your sorrws or celebrating a winner. Before Sunday racing was ever thought of Saturdays there always attracted large crowds and it attracted the best of flat horses as it was a very fair track. Godswalk, Faliraki, Ballad Rock, Cloonlara, Comanche Run, Saddlers Wells and so many other great horses ran there the names come flooding back. The betting ring was particularly vibrant there and you always had a strongmarket with all the major layers present while Terry Rogers had a pitch separate from the main ring. Jeez the place represented all that was good about racing.That changed forever though when the track was purchased by Sangster/O'Brien/Magnier. They made lots of changes.Some good but others not so good and it seemed to lose some of its glory. While the eventual sals was somewhat premature it would never have remained a racecourse whoever owned the place. Sad that it is no longer but there you go. Christ I've spent hours thinking about the place better have a look at Ballinrobe!!

If you were to listen to the guy that used to run the track (forget his name, runs the Jack And Jill Foundation) at the recent forum at Horse and Jockey, it was the greatest and most innovation racecourse in the history of all existance!

Great thread Giant. Brings back some great memories. I lived in the Navan Road area when I started to go racing and used to look forward to the Wednesday evening meetings at the 'PP'. Looking back I should've kept a lot more racecards than I did but one I did keep that stands out was the meeting where El Gran Senor made a winning debut. I remember they ran a few hurdle races there too but the idea didn't seem to catch on. Gas thinking back how short a lot of O'Briens ran(1/4 etc was common even though Eddery would have to be at his strongest a lot of the time to get them home) considering you were docked tax from your winnings at the time. An unforgettable place. I became much more of a NH enthusiast once the park closed.

I meant to say the link in the 13.17 post by me was at the Phoenix Park.

That`s actually the same link I put at the top of the thread Punchestown. If anyone knows of any other footage then I`d love to see it. As they reach the top of the course on that video I presume that`s the sprint track that ran at an angle to the round course.
Great story about Asmussen wmfb. Are you sure it wasn`t you who shouted at him!?
I didn`t realise that races were run around the back of the stand.
I can`t believe you lived on the Navan Rd MJK and you didn`t support the other D7 sporting giant!  
Fair play lads.

No problem punch.
I don`t recognise the first few of those horses animals tbh observirirl.
Am I right in thinking Nijinsky won on debut there? Anybody see any other giants of the turf win/lose there?
I remember hearing of the Cartier Million mp. Was it a 2yo sales race?

soapp I'm sure we could reminisce all night and some about the Park. I recall Homer Scott/Liam Marks/Lorcan Wyer bringing off a monumental gamble in that Champion Bumper one year, maybe Omerta or Canute EXpress backed from 4/1 to evens.

Moved to the area in '94. The End niteclub was going at the time, never went myself. Then it burned down. Rumour was it was an insurance job.

The Bohemians of course wmfb.
Thanks AD. A bit older than I was hoping for though!
The End nightclub! There`s a blast from the past Cwc. Are you sure you didn`t go?
I knew you would have some stories to share soapp. Good on you.

Two of the saddest sights i have seen racing were at the Phoenix Park.The first was a horse called If The Cap Fits fatally impaling himself on a running rail in the early seventies,the second was at the last meeting there in 1990 it was Des Fox vacant stall,he had been murdered the week previously on his way to the Curragh.I bet with him for years and to me he was the greatest ever Irish Bookmaker,fearless,polite and a great loser as well as winner.I think the reason the stall was put up was to enable people to settle their accounts,i would doubt if it was successful.

Mercedes were the sponsor of the bumper and i think you are right about Youpon but doubt if he was odds on.

Two of the saddest sights i have seen racing were at the Phoenix Park.The first was a horse called If The Cap Fits fatally impaling himself on a running rail in the early seventies

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I was at that meeting,the horse crashed into where the running rails meet at the winning post as they were running anticlockwise for that race,if I'm not mistaken Christy Roche was on board.John'Oxx's father trained a flying filly called Annacloy back then and RF Parnell (Buster's) son David was tragically killed in a car crash.

Remember the Tote tickets back then,and waiting for the blackboard to go up in the window to get the dividends after the race .

Christy Roche was the rider of If The Cap Fits,named after a satirical T.V. programme starring Niall Tobin.
David Parnell was killed much later, late eighties, he was walking out with Tracey Piggott and was killed going to work in a car accident.
Anaglogs Daughter....As the forums archivist could you put up a list of the Mercedes bumper Winners if possible,Celticboy correctly named The Iliad as a winner one i had completely forgotten about so would love to have my memory jogged.

MJK,that definitely happened to the horse called Keep Straight and that was the one I attended and not the If The Cap Fits one.It was in the race and after they came out from behind the stands just after the race started and right in front of the crowd and I remember now thinking at the time how ironic that name was for the horse (jockey was unhurt).

Paul Jarman,George McGrath,John Corr,TP Burns,Paddy Sullivan,Johnny Roe are some more names coming back to mind.

Thanks for that Punch, at least I wasn't imagining it! Soapp, did Christy Roche ride a lot of the Connolly's? Fairly sure he rode a horse there a lot for him called Tabloid over sprint distances. Speaking of sprints, I know Committed held the record for the quickest 5F there at one time, not sure if it was ever beaten.

A monumental disgrace and the biggest travesty of justice to Irish sports followers was the fact that this fabulous resource, in the heart of a major city was allowed to close.

I remember well those balmy Summer Wednesdays in the eighties  …  a gang of maybe 10 or 15 of us would depart from the 108 Pub in Rathgar (later of Rathgar Beau fame)   … packed into a couple of cars  -  and maybe a Hiace van  ..  destination:  The Park.

Might have had 4 or 5 pints before we even left …

The sun always shone in The Park  …  the jazz band playing as you walked in  ..  Sangster arriving in a helicopter - parked down the road from our Hiace  ..   Kitty O Shea’s Baked Potatoes  …

Our lads savouring the sight of some impeccably bred leggy fillies  ..  and occasionally they looked at the four-legged ones too …

Robbie Connolly in green and red colours getting up in a 5 furlong sprint  ..  Terry Rogers with a face that would stop a clock  -  Sean Graham .. A Gentleman  …

Mad Jack betting on those impossible photo finishes  …

The bar during and afterwards  ..  sometimes the Halfway House for a session  …  and always , incredibly, somehow managed to navigate the convoy back to the 108 before closing  … Great Days …

wmfb, you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of racing do you recall if Denis Brosnan had any connection with the ownership or sale of the Park? I seem to recall that he had but would by no means be certain.