Pre-ordered tickets required for entry to all Irish fixtures this weekend

All three Irish fixtures this weekend – Fairyhouse and Tramore on Saturday as well as Naas on Sunday – will be pre-ordered, ticket-only events.

Tramore stages its biggest meeting of the year with dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo bidding to win the Savills Chase for a fourth year in a row, and manager Owen Byrne said the track was in a good staffing position.

It was staffing issues which forced Leopardstown's four-day festival to be held behind closed doors but Byrne said: "We're in good shape with staff at the moment. I've just checked with our catering and bar staff this morning [Wednesday] and we're looking good.

"We have just under 3,000 tickets sold and we'll keep selling them until we get to about 4,000. I'm keen to keep it well below the 5,000 anyway.

"We're really looking forward to it, but it's a very stressful time with everything that's going on at the moment. We'll have a lot of outdoor facilities and are keen to ensure a comfortable, safe and enjoyable environment."

Eamonn McEvoy: had to cancel plans to hire a magician

Fairyhouse's popular New Year's Day fixture is also ticket only with manager Peter Roe stressing the decision was made with contact tracing in mind.

He said: "Going ticket only gives us a handle on the numbers. It allows us to have contact tracing for everyone who comes. We will keep a close eye on the numbers to ensure we comply with all government guidelines.

"We'll have loads of outdoor facilities and catering on the day. Our hospitality is booked out but we have plenty of general admission tickets available online."

Eamonn McEvoy, manager at Naas, also confirmed the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle would be an all-ticket occasion. He said: "We've decided to go ticket only. Sales have been okay, although not as strong as other years with what's going on. It's very difficult to try and organise something in the current climate.

"We had planned on having a magician for the kids in the creche but we have cancelled that now. We would encourage those with symptoms of Covid-19 to stay at home."

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