Curragh board must take responsibility as Derek McGrath's exit exposes flaws

If the imminent departure of Curragh chief executive Derek McGrath serves no other purpose, it can be viewed as an overdue rebuttal of the 'official' line that issues relating to the track's redevelopment can be dismissed as mere "teething problems".

Only a few weeks ago, McGrath – who will leave the position he has held since 2016 at the end of the current season – was in fire-fighting mode, exposed to the flak after the three-day Irish Derby meeting.

Adverse comment about attendance figures was compounded by dissatisfaction with facilities which failed to cope with a Derby day crowd of just under 12,000, well short of the stated 30,000 capacity. Lengthy queues for lavatories and for refreshment in the public areas were cited by attendees.