Curragh chief Derek McGrath to leave role at end of the season

Derek McGrath will leave his role as chief executive of the Curragh racecourse at the end of the season following a tumultuous reign at the headquarters of Irish racing.

McGrath oversaw an €81.2 million redevelopment at the track during his three-year tenure. However, the venue encountered problems during the building process and there have been ongoing issues since its grand opening in May.

The parade ring had to be reconstructed prior to the opening after it was found to be too small and the roof of the Aga Khan grandstand makes an alarming screeching noise when the wind is blowing in a particular direction. On Pretty Polly day there were two fire alarms and the Curragh Cup was delayed while the grandstand was evacuated.

A fire alarm causes the Curragh grandstand to be evacuated on Pretty Polly dayCredit: Patrick McCann

Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh, who is a Curragh board member, also voiced his concern about the raceday experience for the 11,957 who turned up on Irish Derby day, and suggested more temporary facilities may be required to alleviate the long queues that were evident for drinks and toilets in the main hall throughout the day.

Following Derby weekend, McGrath stated that he felt the experiment of starting the festival on a Thursday worked well, but Kavanagh was of a different opinion, suggesting that a crowd of 3,661 for the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes on the Friday was poor enough to warrant abandoning the experiment and exploring different options for 2020.

Among other controversies, the Curragh has come in for criticism for an 'Upstairs Downstairs' vibe on raceday, excessive pricing of members' packages and a shortage of facilities for owners and trainers. For the Guineas and Derby festivals, a marquee was erected behind the parade ring to provide a supplementary area for owners and trainers to converge.

On a project that ran €16m over budget compared to the initial projection of €65m, there has been unrest in recent weeks that such a range of teething problems were persisting.

Poor communication also became a recurring issue, with McGrath, who couldn't be contacted for comment on Saturday, refusing to give a breakdown of daily attendance figures for the three days of the Guineas festival. Following widespread criticism, that policy was abandoned for Derby weekend

Speaking to the Irish Field, McGrath said: "Having overseen an ambitious redevelopment project that has established a wonderful new racecourse for the benefit of future generations, I have decided that at the end of this season I will leave the task of building the future of the Curragh to others.

"I joined the Curragh in April 2016 and together we have delivered a complete transformation of the facility and the business. I will leave knowing we have reinvigorated the Curragh and will leave it in a better place, in readiness to build a great future.

"I would like to thank the chairman Padraig McManus, the board and shareholders of the Curragh racecourse for their support during the creation of this magnificent facility. I am sure the Curragh racecourse will go on to have the success it deserves, and it has been a privilege to play a small part in its history."

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