It is time for racecourses to stop being lazy and follow Killarney's lead
Do you know how Frankie Dettori ended up in Killarney last month? Believe it or not, the idea was born of frustration.
Rookie racecourse manager Phillip O'Brien was irked that the middle leg of his five-day July festival was an all-Flat card without a fence or a hurdle in sight and, concerned the action would not capture the imagination of the locals, he proceeded to think outside the box.
There were seven races down for decision that Wednesday evening, including the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes, so the track was guaranteed a tasty sum north of €50,000 in television rights money. Tracks receive around €7,000 per race and more when hosting Pattern contests.
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