Public fears over the rising spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 appear to have peculiarly helped out Leopardstown with all tickets for the Christmas festival set to be honoured.
The Dublin track had been sold out on the basis of a 6,000 capacity for each of its four days prior to last week’s Government announcement of new restrictions.
That has resulted in a new 5,000 spectator limit but a drop-off rate officials estimate in the region of 20 per cent means those who have tickets, and are keen to go racing, can attend.
“We’ve had a number of cancellations which is unfortunate but we understand the reasons and rationale for that.
“The upshot is we will be able to honour all of the tickets that have been purchased up to this point because of the cancellations and alterations in hospitality and sponsors requirements.
“The positive message is that anyone who has a ticket, all of their tickets will be honoured,” said Leopardstown’s chief executive Tim Husbands on Monday.
The 5,000 limit is for spectators and doesn’t include racing industry professionals such as jockeys and trainers.
He stressed that the Christmas dates, traditionally the busiest of the year with an attendance of over 57,000 in 2019, will be primarily outdoor-focused although racegoers will be allowed indoors with a Covid vaccination passport.
“It was always going to be an outdoor event, with very sizable marquees and a village there with other food and drink outlets around the place.
“If you have a Covid passport you can still go inside but we are not serving alcohol inside so it will be operated like a restaurant.
“You can buy a drink outside and take it inside but it will be on an allocated table basis,” Husbands commented.
That outdoor focus means the weather will be an even more important topic of conversation once the festival begins on St Stephens Day.
The outlook is “unsettled” and Husbands added: “From Boxing Day onwards it’s not meant to be too bad. It will be cold so people should wrap up with winter warmers and all that. But it will be a traditional Christmas festival.”
There are no additional tickets available and admission without a ticket on the day of racing won’t be accommodated.
The steeplechase course at Leopardstown will be watered on Tuesday and the situation regarding further watering is going to be monitored during the week.
Ground conditions on the usually quick-draining chase course are currently ‘good to yielding.’ It is yielding on the hurdles and bumper course.
The going ahead of Limerick’s four day festival is currently ‘soft’ and ‘soft to heavy’ in places with up 20mms of rain forecast over the weekend and into next week.
Down Royal is expected to get up 30mms of rainfall up to its St Stephens Day fixture. The ground there is currently ‘good to yielding.’
Just seven horses remain in Leopardstown’s St Stephens Day Grade 1 feature, the €100,000 Racing Post Novice Chase.
They include the highly regarded Ferny Hollow who beat Coeur Sublime on his debut over fences at Punchestown earlier this month.
Also in the mix is the four year old filly Riviere D’etel who is unbeaten in three starts over fences for Gordon Elliott and is set to get almost a stone in sex and age allowances.
At Monday’s acceptance stage Willie Mullins also left Ferny Hollow in Limerick’s two and a half mile Grade 1 highlight, the €100,000 Boylesports Faugheen Novice Chase.
A total of 17 entries remain in the race named after the 2019 winner, including last season’s Cheltenham festival winner Vanillier.
Only half a dozen horses feature among the entries for one of the Day 2 festival features at Leopardstown, the Paddys Rewards Club Chase.
Mullins has left in both his top two-mile stars Energumene and Chacun Pour Soi while Henry De Bromhead is eyeing the race too for Envoi Allen.
He proved a major disappointment when only sixth to Allaho in the John Durkan but could now drop to the minimum trip.
“It’s quite soon after the John Durkan but we are aiming that way. He seems in good form and all his checks are good,” De Bromhead reported.
“We were thinking about dropping him back in trip. I thought he was so impressive in Down Royal going a real good gallop. He has a lot of class and jumps very well at speed. We thought we might try that and see.
“The John Durkan was a bit of a funny race in that a lot of good horses finished very tired. Nothing obvious came to light with him afterwards so we’ll put it behind us and move on,” he added.
Prior to that De Bromhead will aim his Gold Cup hero Minella Indo at Kempton’s King George VI Chase.
He, along with the Willie Mullins pair, Asterion Forlonge and Tornado Flyer, are among 10 entries left in at Monday’s stage.
Former King George winners Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon are also in the mix.
