curragh derby day

Soulless is a very good description Calling,to the point that the only ones benefiting from this PR disaster seem to be a certain family who seem to have HUGE financial investment in the Curragh remaining open.

Wings Of Eagles (9/4)
Waldgeist (3)
Cracksman (10/3)
Capri (10)
Douglas Macarthur (14)
Venice Beach (20)
Grandee (33)
Spanish Steps (40)
Taj Mahal (40)
Dubai Sand (66)
The Anvil (66)
Finn McCool (100)

Just keep backing Waldgeist when he wins it may not feel like being in a soulless place.

I'd say if there was 2,500 there last night that was it,shameful stuff all round,its hard to believe that people want to go racing in this building site,and no matter how they dress it up its simply not up to standard.I doubt very much the stars of stage and screen whom they normally parade at this meeting will be eager to return next year.The showcase of Irish racing has been dropped to its lowest ebb by pure greed imo.

See your point wr but i'd sooner see horses run at the fairest track and thats without doubt the Curragh. A few people have said to me why wasnt it run at Leopardstown but as far as im concerned Leopardstown would not suit the meeting (no "straight" track for 1 thing.)

In saying that, while i know its far from perfect to run these meetings at HQ, lets not forget that the place had turned into a total dump and had to be improved pronto. When its all finished touch wood this forum will still be someway alive and we'll all be on singing the praises of the new facilities

The only race that couldn't be run at Leopardstown is a 5 furlong handicap. There aren't even any massive fields in this meeting. If Leopardstown is fair enough to host the Irish Champions Stakes, by far the best race in the country, it's fair enough for the derby.

Did Leopardstown put back the  straight course on the sly? Plenty of 6f races would be affected if the meeting switched there would they not?

Leopardstown has a 6 furlong course. It's round.

good answer

just home from the Curragh
3 days of exciting racing , notable performances for different reasons .DK WELDs horses are evidently under the weather , none of them are finishing their races at all. all the fumigating has not solved the issue, maybe the Galway race committee might postpone their festival till all is well at Rosewell House haha
Ryan Moore sometimes is bewildering with his riding at the Curragh , needs a satnav by times
Gordon Elliot is making waves on the Flat for sure ,very refreshing for the industry.
Noel Meade stuck his tuppence worth in again as regards the racing remaining at HQ this year.John Magnier wanted it here so be it.
Each meeting there are slight improvements and I think most people had a good experience .
Look its not ideal but to run Group races over 6f at Leopardstown with a reduced safety limit and a bend with 330yds would be bizarre.
The changes to the betting area were an improvement creating a ring like situation.
In summary it was not as soulless a place as I feared.

If you were so desperate to run the sprints on a straight course (funny how the 2 year old sprints at the English derby meeting seem to lose nothing from being on a round course) you could move the lot to a separate meeting at Naas or Navan and the derby meeting would lose nothing. I never knew the sprints were so key to holding the derby.

WOODCOTE is only a conditions race and not a group race.

Well it was listed when Buratino won it, point is it doesn't deter the top horses.