Bumper crowd expected at Down Royal as outgoing team prepare for handover

It will be business as usual on Boxing Day for the outgoing Down Royal management team, according to Mike Todd, who has been at the course's helm for almost 23 years and is hoping to go out with a bang.

Dundalk's former sales and marketing manager Emma Meehan will take over as the new chief executive on January 1 as the Merrion Property Group succeed Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders, but Todd insists he will be treating his final meeting in charge like any other.

Down Royal: a new era begins on January 1.Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

He said: "All of the emotion is gone and has been exhausted over the past nine months.

"We’re treating it like an ordinary raceday. We walked the track and it’s in great order. It’s yielding as we speak and there’s a bit of rain forecast but we think it’s going to stay yielding."

Todd said advance sales and hospitality had sold out and continued: “There’s a really strong possibility of a record crowd as hospitality is sold out and all that’s left is standard entry tickets. It’s always a busy meeting and I just hope the weather will be decent for us on the day. If it stays dry we’re expecting a superb crowd.

“I've been here almost 23 years and it’s all about the racing for me. We want to go out with a bang and it’s going to be a really great meeting. We’re really looking forward to it.”

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