Leopardstown basks in record-breaking glow as Dublin Racing Festival crowds increase by 40 per cent

Leopardstown bosses were on Monday basking in the glow of a record-breaking weekend for the Dublin Racing Festival, with attendance taking a 40 per cent leap forward on 2022 and the event receiving widespread praise for the warm atmosphere at the track.

A total of 34,591 people attended the meeting across the two days, with both Saturday's gate of 18,121 – achieved in the face of competition from television coverage of Ireland's Six Nations rugby opener against Wales – and Sunday's 16,830 eclipsing any previous day in the short history of the fixture since it was created as a double-header in 2018.

An estimated 27 per cent of tickets were bought by racegoers in Britain but, while there is clearly a growing appetite on both sides of the Irish Sea for the meeting in its current format, Leopardstown chief executive Tim Husbands says any potential expansion in attendance needs to be balanced against the comfort of racegoers.

Husbands said: "I’ve always said the last year has been about recovery from Covid and trying to consolidate where we are. We saw an increase in our business over the Christmas festival, which was up about six per cent.

"That gave us cause for optimism but, to be honest, to get the bounce we did has been hugely satisfying for the team. To see the level of enjoyment from racegoers was just fantastic."

For those watching on television there was clear evidence of a vibrant atmosphere, something picked up on by the presenters across Racing TV, RTE and ITV.

Husbands said: "Jane Mangan described it as 'the most enjoyable weekend of Irish racing most of us have ever experienced', and it is hugely satisfying that the industry and the media are engaging and see us as a major part of the jumps calendar across the UK and Ireland.

"I think it has also started to establish itself as a race meeting people want to be at, and there's that fear of missing out. There were so many potentially good stories, and they were watching great, competitive racing. And we also benefited by it being the first year with a bank holiday at the end of the weekend."

Saturday's crowd was essentially full capacity for the modern Leopardstown and, although Husbands believes the demand may be there for an increase in numbers in future years, that is not necessarily a priority.

Racegoers arrive for day one of the Dublin Racing Festival at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann

"We stress test every part of our facilities – bars, restaurants and industry facilities – and we’re limited to the space we have," he said. "There’s probably a degree of space trackside we could look at, but we also want people to enjoy it. It’s not all about getting in the most people you possibly can, it's about the racegoer experience. It's about making sure people were able to share a comfortable and exciting day with friends and family.

"While we'd like to see it grow a bit more, and there’s probably a little bit of room, we’re delighted with where we are now."

Husbands added: "The Dublin Racing Festival is about celebrating the best in Irish jump racing. But it’s also about celebrating Dublin, and the packaging around that with the music, the street performers and the dancers also gives that added festival vibe.

"I think this is probably the first year we’ve felt it was a real festival and the feedback we’ve had has been superb."

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