These can be a tough few weeks for a jumps fan but the Curragh is at least starting to turn a corner

As an ardent jump racing fan this time of year can often be about just rolling up the sleeves and grinding it out.

Once the Curragh’s redevelopment began in 2016, attending Guineas weekend in a working capacity descended into a fairly joyless chore. Six years ago the long-awaited revamp was mired in controversy when the scale of the contempt for racegoers became startlingly clear, with the first Classics of the Irish season played out alongside a backdrop of an ugly building site that was exacerbated by an unrelenting deluge on the Saturday.

The place was rinsed with the grey cosmetics of a rubbled war zone and such was the rancour that enveloped the whole €81 million project that reporting from there took on a similarly hostile vibe. Bracing yourself for a front line battle isn’t anyone’s idea of an enjoyable day at the sports.