Curragh completion delayed until end of February and no decision on parade ring

The completion date for the Curragh revamp has been pushed back two months to the end of February and a decision has yet to be made on whether the remedial work required to enlarge the parade ring will be done ahead of the grand unveiling on April 13, 2019.

Derek McGrath, chief executive of the company that manages the Curragh racecourse and training grounds, remains optimistic that there is sufficient time to re-do the parade ring in time for the re-opening, if that is what is decided.

Three months have passed since trainers and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board – a one-third stakeholder in the company – made it clear that the new parade ring could not cater for 30-runner fields, with 22 horses the most that could be safely accommodated.