Leopardstown announce new initiatives as big crowd expected for day one of Irish Champions Festival - plus potential for going to ease

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The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes could be run on the "slightly easier side of good" at Leopardstown, with the track's chief executive expecting another improvement on last year's attendance. 

Last season's crowd of 11,354 was up 12 per cent on 2024 and Leopardstown CEO Mark Clayton says a larger number is expected with ticket sales having gone well in the lead-up to the festival, which kicks off at Leopardstown on Saturday before moving to the Curragh on Sunday.

"Numbers are looking good for Saturday, it's looking like we'll show an increase on last year's attendance which we're delighted with," said Clayton. "There's a little smattering of hospitality still available and things are looking good. There's a bit of sunshine and showers around this week so we're hoping it's more sunshine on Saturday and we're really looking forward to it.

"We've got some people coming over from Britain, not to the extent that people travel for the Dublin Racing Festival, but it's still popular and the weekend tickets have gone well. 

"Paddy [Graffin, clerk of the course] walked the track today and it's officially good. There's plenty of wind around so who knows what will happen to the showers during the week but we expect it to remain much the same at good, or maybe slightly the easier side of good."

Mark Clayton: CEO at LeopardstownCredit: David Carr

There are a number of activities being staged for racegoers, including entertainment from O'Driscolls Irish Dancers, Bentleyboys live after racing, and a trad duo in the Hurricanes Bar. Spectators can also pick up a punters' passport on entry to collect stamps as they visit different points around the racecourse and will receive an ICF pin if it is completed.

"The punters passport is new, you get a pin off the back of it. We're always trying new initiatives and we'll have the national anthem before the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. We want to make it a proper event and people to come and enjoy the racing and the half an hour in between them. It's nine races so it's a full-on day and we want to make sure people can make the most of it."

Clayton is also expecting the new Golden Fleece Stakes, which replaced the Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes, to be a success in its first year having been upgraded to Group 1 status and the distance increased from a mile to 1m1f.

"It's just a fantastic weekend's racing. We have three of the seven Group 1s, including the new Golden Fleece. We've potentially got a record number of UK challengers coming for the Champion Stakes but we'll find out more on Tuesday.

"Auguste Rodin and Benvenuto Cellini won over a mile here so it's a well-positioned race. Now it's up to nine furlongs and I believe Charlie Appleby and Charlie Johnston could be bringing horses over for it. Quest For Stars won the Stonehenge at Salisbury which is a win and you're in race, which is a new initiative."

Read more . . .

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An intriguing Irish Champion Stakes contender and a Glorious Goodwood-winning raider - key takeouts from the Curragh gallops morning 

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