Crowd in sharp decline but Irish Champions Weekend here to stay says HRI chief

Leopardstown Sat 10 September 2022Luxembourg ridden by Ryan Moore being led in by Pat Keating and Derek Hennessy after winning The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion StakesPhoto.carolinenorris.ie

Luxembourg: was found to be very sore and lame after the ArcCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Irish Champions Weekend is here to stay despite tumbling attendances at Ireland's flagship Flat racing event, according to Horse Racing Ireland's chief executive Suzanne Eade.

The total crowd figure over the weekend was 17,022, down 28 per cent from the last pre-Covid Irish Champions Weekend in 2019, with the Curragh the scene of wretched weather on Sunday and only welcoming 6,742 through the turnstiles. There were 10,280 at Leopardstown.

The inaugural event in 2014 had an official crowd of 24,168 and there were 23,508 in attendance just three years ago, when the Pat Smullen Champions race in aid of Cancer Trials Ireland took centre stage at the Curragh and enabled day two to hit five figures for the first time since 2015.

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David JenningsDeputy Ireland editor

Published on 12 September 2022inNews

Last updated 19:33, 12 September 2022

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