The Curragh is set to have a condensed 2017 programme, running from May to September, in order to facilitate its €65 million redevelopment plan, which is due to be completed in 2018.
Hopes that building work would not interfere with next year’s programme appear to have been dashed as the track authorities have applied to Horse Racing Ireland’s fixtures committee for an amended list of 18 fixtures in 2017.
“The application is in for a truncated season to facilitate the development. It hasn’t been sanctioned, and it’s subject to approval, but we are looking at racing from the middle of May to mid-September,” said the Curragh spokesman, Paul Hensey.
“The Guineas and all the classics will be run here as normal. It is the meetings at the start of the season and at the end which will have to be swapped and changed to other tracks,” he added.
Planning permission for the Curragh’s long-awaited facelift was granted earlier this year and work is due to start on the project at the start of 2017.
The Curragh chief executive Derek McGrath indicated that concerns about possible planning appeals have eased and said: “We are now focused on finalising designs and it looks like we are good to go.”
Upswing
The Curragh-based trainer
Ken Condon
has seen a consistent upswing in his fortunes in recent years and he saddled a notable double at his local track yesterday, headlined by his stalwart performer, Success Days.
Just half an hour after Landfall made an impressive debut by making most in the juvenile maiden, Success Days made all in the Royal Whip Stakes to beat the dual-Group 1 winner Fascinating Rock by three parts of a length.
The favourite, Derby runner-up US Army Ranger, could finish only fourth.
Significant
Although a Group 3 race, Success Days afterwards cooled down under a blanket proclaiming the Royal Whip as a Group 2, but the most significant element of the race could be that the average rating of the first four was of Group 1 standard.
That’s the level Condon is now looking at, with the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown next on the grey’s agenda, if ground conditions are suitable.
“He’ll go to Leopardstown for the Champion Stakes if the ground is OK. If, for some reason, it isn’t, we’ll look at the Champion at Ascot. You’d hope in late October the ground would be in his favour,” he said.
Shane Foley had earlier been first jockey past the line in the 10km Jog for Jockeys charity event at the track, and he timed it perfectly on Success Days, who didn't repeat any past tendency to hang to his left.
“I think that was his best performance visually. He kept straight and Shane was brilliant on him and was confident enough to let roll along,” Condon added.
Bookmaker reaction was to cut Success Days to 12-1 for Leopardstown and to 16-1 for Ascot, although perhaps the most notable cut was to the dual-Derby hero Harzand, now as low as evens for the Irish Champion.
Good company
Landfall could be mixing it in good company sooner rather than later after his success, with Condon nominating next month’s Beresford as a possible option for the gelding.
“I’d say he’ll be a middle distance horse next year. He has the blend of speed and stamina, and like all the good ones, he can move up and down in trip,” he said.
