40 Euro into the Curragh on Sunday.

See the other thread.

Think this rip off deserves a thread of its own.

Is that right? They've doubled the price?

Fair enough. I wouldn`t argue with you. Others consider it good value.
Well, one other.

1) I have my Go Racing In Kildare badge

2) It will keep the crowds down and hopefully the rif raf away.

3) Unfortunately the once a year racegoers will clutter up the reserved enclosure seeing now that the grandstand enclosure is gone and we won't get to see the horses in the paddock.

the west end enclosure has been done away with , which was 20 euro last year, and 40 for reserved.
so instead hri expect the crowd to be be down so let the die hards who always go make up the shortfall for them, and hey if they get any extra on the day they are on the pigs back!! typical ratz hole of a country, squeeze the people dry!!

Gents I honestly don't think they've got it wrong charging €40. It's Derby day and they'll put on an excellent card there attracting many top quality horses.

To put it in context I paid £97 each for me and Mrs soldieroffortune to get into the Epsom Derby this year!

Into a proper racecourse!

A great pity Brown Panther is not running in the Derby maybe the suplemetary fee is too high.This is the Curraghs big day you will have top class racing and to me 40 euro is not excessive.How much are concert tickets for old sixties and seventies pop stars.. anything up to 80 euro.The real danger to the crowd is the Kildare Dublin football match loads will attend and some will stay at home and watch all sporting events at home.

it is derby day and it should be our showcase day but to say it is a top quality card overall , i dont think so. When it contains a group 1, 2,3 and listed ok but to have 3 handicaps on our showcase day to pander to the bookies is sick! No matter what the likes of leo powell wants to pontificate in the field  about ireland being a world leader. I'm not going to the curragh to see the likes of fosters cross and devalira run in 1m 4f handicap. I want to see a full group card with a couple of decent maidens.No offence to the above horses but they have their time of year, and i will still go no matter what the price but then hri know that anyway we will go anyway.We dont matter or have a voice!

thepinkcaps
I want to see a full group card with a couple of decent maidens.No offence to the above horses but they have their time of year, and i will still go no matter what the price but then hri know that anyway we will go anyway.We dont matter or have a voice!

On the one hand you say you don't matter or have a voice and on the other you say that you will go no matter what the price. You need to vote with your feet/pocket and stay at home. 10,000 pinkcaps turn up on Sunday and HRI have basically justified their decision to leave it at €40.

the hri got fat on the celtic tiger years of charge whatever and they will come and plenty did for a jolly up during the summer but the quality of racing suffered and the whole show was still being dictated to by the bookies. We took no notice of the odd handicap here and there to make sure the bookies never lost on derby day.The irish derby card used to be one to look forward to with plenty of overseas entries and a possible clash of epsom and chantilly!Now its a glorified ballydoyle work! The only way forward is to maybe look at the way racing for change have changed some things round in uk, i dont agree with all of it but at least you can see what they are trying to do i.e promote the game and its biggest races and players. However to do similar here requires a cleanout of the vested interests who pollute our great sport for their own needs , i somehow think that will never happen while it remains a country of backslappers!

It might have been 97quid for two tickets into Epsom but there are cheaper options and you can enjoy derby day for free on the downs as most people do.

moneypenny , i paid £40 in on oaks day and still could not see johnny return to the winners enclosure at epsom....i did spend derby day on the downs and paid nothing and i must say i really enjoyed it ...so i  suppose it puts paying 40 euro into perspective ...on reflection its not overpriced....

Its a bad idea at Epsom to have the winners enclosure in front of the exclusive Queens stand alright.I was there the day Sea the stars won the derby and it was the only fault i Would have with the place. I was in the duchess stand next door and despite the huge crowd it was easy to get around, get refreshments , use the loos etc. My experiences of the Curragh on derby day is the complete opposite

agree re the duchess stand , a fine viewing point as well ....i have to say i find the curragh a little uncomfortable on derby day...

Yep i was pleasantly surprised by the place alright. Thought it might be a nightmare but it was a great day out and i couldnt believe how quickly i got on a train back into London afterwards. Was all very well organised

Since the Celtic Tiger stopped wagging his tail it has been easy enough to get round the place.

Pinkcaps, 3 handicaps out of 8 on Derby day has been the norm for many years. They are not 0 to 60's now. They are at the top end of the scale, attract competitive fields and produce exciting finishes. FWIW I think that is acceptable.

Woodies DIY are giving away 2 for price of 1 vouchers for the Curragh on Saturday .

If you think its to expensive to go to the Derby then dont go.Stay at home put your feet up and treat yourself to a Pot Noodle.

Fwiw I don`t have an issue with the quality of the card. It is well balanced and better than the Epsom card imo.
I just don`t agree with asking everybody to pay that much into a substandard facility.
Can somebody tell me about the old/halcyon days when there were no corporate tents in the centre and many punters would view from there.
Was that free of charge?

Giant it was free and had a beer tent and fast food outlets and bookies,then the crowds started to fall in the grandstand and they closed it so people had to pay in.

Thanks for that steinbeck. Any idea when it stopped?

by purpose Joined: 13 Oct 03
Replies: 92 23 Jun 11 20:42   
If you think its to expensive to go to the Derby then dont go.Stay at home put your feet up and treat yourself to a Pot Noodle.


will do, chicken and mushroom is my favourite

Giant think it was after the derby in 2001.

I went to my first Derby in 2000 steinbeck and it was definitely not in use then. Must have been a couple of years earlier.

Personally, I'd like to see the best of the Friday night and Saturday card put on the Sunday with the Derby. The overall quality of Sunday's card is average imo. I don't wnt to see horses prepping for the Galway Hurdle on Derby day.

Bonuses paid to "leading executives" of the powers-that-be in Irish racing are an utter disgrace.

I am not paying 40eur to those tulips out of principle.

At those prices, ya'd swear they were snorting coke outta some model's snatch!

It's not 2005 anymore.

Ah good ol 2005 when we were all snorting cocaine out of the snatch of some model

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end!

We'd sing and dance 4ever and a day

We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never loos
Oh yes the B4 Nama

40 quid in for extremely average racing and dreadful facilities is not value in any mans budget.