The social life at the Derby
For racing and glamour, the Irish Derby is right up there with the world’s best social occasions like Royal Ascot and the Prix de l’Arc.
One of the most exciting events on the international flat racing calendar, the Irish Derby has gone through several facelifts in its 150 years, usually heralded by one of its sponsors.
Elegance, glamour and luxury are the by-words at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, since it took over sponsorship in 2008. There have been only three corporate sponsors in its entire history and this year, Dubai Duty Free’s executive vice chairman, Colm McLoughlin and his wife, Breeda, will host a sumptuous lunch for guests on the day. This is the invitation you really, really want on your mantelpiece.
Not only will you share a nod and a smile with perhaps the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, on your way to the tote, you can also hang out in the Pamper Zone where, in recent years, you could star spot all day long.
Film stars like Clive Owen have enjoyed exciting Derby days at the Curragh and so too have TV personalities like Millie Mackintosh from Made In Chelsea, Michelle Keegan from
Coronation Street and tennis ace, Ana Ivanovic.
Over the years, the Irish Derby has attracted a roll call of famous names, from Princess Caroline of Monaco to Jackie Kennedy who attended the Irish Sweeps Derby in July 1967. She was here with her children for a month long holiday in Co Waterford and attended as the guest of Taoiseach Jack Lynch and his wife, Máirín.
The Curragh on Irish Derby day has hosted the likes of actors Paul Newman, John Forsythe, Stefanie Powers, Richard Gere and crooner Tony Bennett who were to be seen chatting, and sharing tips, with Irish politicians including the late Albert Reynolds, former OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Actor Clive Owen with Tom Magnier; Racehorse owner Robert Sangster with his wife, Susan; Princess Caroline of Monaco; The Earl and Countess of Harrington pictured with Mrs Desmonde Summers at the 1953 Derby; Mexican film star, Maria-Felix Berger, owner of the 1976 Derby winner, Malacate, accepting her trophy; President Michael D Higgins, his wife Sabina with Colm and Breeda McLoughlin. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Actors Paul Newman and Richard Gere; Jackie Kennedy with Taoiseach Jack Lynch; former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and actress Stefanie Powers.
Finance minister, Charlie McCreevy and well known people from the worlds of entertainment, sport, arts, fashion and media.
If you are lucky enough to make the Dubai Duty Free’s guest list, your day starts in the infield marquee, with its views across the finish line to the grandstand. Already you have the feeling of being in the exclusive inner sanctum.
The marquee is themed each year, always with an exotic touch of Arabia. If the decor is classical, there’ll be pops of hot colour in the table centerpieces or in the eastern-style lanterns on each table. Lunch is the best of Irish with a middleeastern influence. Roast beef with mezze anybody?
As you cheer your winner past the post from the pretty white-picket-fenced terrace, a jazz or swing band will start to play and the waiters will ensure your glass is never empty. Worried about hat-hair? Relax, there are hair and make-up artists at hand for touch-ups all day.
Colm McLoughlin lists the highlight of his seven Irish Derbys as meeting World No 1 golfer, Rory McIlory and trainer Aidan O’Brien together in the parade ring last year.
“The irony is that this year we have taken over the title sponsorship of The Irish Open,” he said.
It was in 1962, that the Irish Derby acquired its first sponsor. The Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstakes, owned by the McGrath family, upped the prize money considerably, making the Derby one of the richest races in Europe, which prompted the influx of top international horses.
With them came the international stars, most notably Bing Crosby, whose horse, Meadow Court, won the Irish Derby in 1965. Neil McGrath was just 10 years old when he heard the crooner woo the Irish crowd around the parade ring with his rendition of When Irish Eyes are Smiling, a memory he says he will never forget.
Eight years later, he watched Weaver’s Hall, bred by his family and named after the area in the Liberties where his grandfather grew up, gallop to victory in the race.
“It was a huge occasion,” says Neil, who co-owns a studfarm with his wife. He is a member of the Curragh Committee and is heavily involved in racing through the Turf Club.
Rose O’Loughlin, proprietor of the Keadeen Hotel outside Newbridge, remembers the year that Bing won the Derby. In fact, he stayed at the Keadeen, which was then the home of Meadow Court’s trainer, Paddy Prendergast.
It wasn’t until 1970 that Rose and her husband, Joe, bought the house and turned it into a hotel, starting with just four bedrooms and a function room. As the hotel expanded, the Derby crowd started to grow and it was to the Keadeen’s elegant drawing room, overlooking the lovely sheltered garden, that they gravitated.
Rose remembers the hors d’oeuvres trolley, futuristic at the time, the buffet table groaning with tiered desserts, and crepes suzettes flambéed at your table - before health and safety put a stop to all that.
“It was a glamorous time,” Rose recalls. “The Rollers and Bentleys would pull up to the hotel and ladies wearing beautiful hats, diamonds and red nail varnish would step out. Everyone had good manners and there was no over-drinking.”
As the crowds grew, Rose and Joe added small marquees on the driveway, which reminded her of those at Knock, though in contrast, instead of rosary beads and religious paraphernalia, they were serving beer, wine and champagne.
For the launch of the Budweiser Irish Derby in 1986, they catered a brunch for 500 in the ballroom, a dinner for another 500, with a further 370 in the restaurant.
Another year they hired a calypso band who were all “bongos and rasta hair,” Rose recalls. Though the day had been a scorcher, that night there was a violent thunder and lightning storm and the electricity went out.
“No-one cared,” Rose laughs, “they danced and sloshed up and down in the rain, not a bother on them!”
Actor Richard Gere came and Sheikhs entertained in private dining rooms. But whether it was Joe’s death in 1994 or the fact that more events were starting to take place at the Curragh racecourse, by the mid-noughties Rose had reined in the festivities.
Now 73, Rose tells me that she doesn’t miss the whirr of the Celtic Tiger helicopters, or the pressure to have sufficient security. The atmosphere at the Keadeen during the Irish Derby Festival is now quieter.
While the carnival was happening at the Keadeen, there was a Mardi Gras all of its own taking place at the racecourse. When Budweiser announced it was coming to Ireland in 1986, it used the Irish Derby as its launchpad and the launch was one of the biggest Ireland had ever seen.
From the outset, they further increased the Derby prize fund, which had the all-important effect of ensuring that top international Grade 1 horses would compete. They also brought corporate hospitality to a whole new level in Ireland. This was mid-‘80s recession Ireland, young people were emigrating and those of us that were left were paying astronomical taxes.
It was into this environment that the Budweiser machine went into overdrive. Working with their expert team of people was Rhona Blake. She was a mere intern in 1986, working with PR supremo, John Saunders, at his PR company, which was later to become FleishmanHillard where she is now the MD.
When it came to the guest list, they pulled in the might of parent company Anheuser Busch to bring in their star contacts or “influencers”, as Rhona puts it. By the time the Budweiser sponsorship ended in 2007, the Irish Derby had grown from it’s incarnation as ‘a grand day at the races’ where locals dressed in their Sunday best and had tea or a pint in limited facilities, to a world-class race with superb amenities and fabulous style.
With the sponsorship of Dubai Duty Free, the spend is enormous and the guest list grows increasingly more glamorous every year.
For me, the Irish Derby has been a personal story. A boyfriend took me to the Curragh for our first date. When we arrived at his box he introduced me to his parents, so I reckoned I was in for more than a few furlongs with this fella. The date ran without a hurdle, tea ran into dinner, and before we got to the finishing post, he suggested we swing by a friend’s drinks party. I knew her vaguely from years back.
When we walked in the door together, his friend said, “Ken, she’s perfect for you, you should marry this girl.” He did. That was over 20 years ago and we’re still married.And as for the match maker, she was none other than Rhona Blake.
“Our guest list is expanding and don’t be surprised to see exciting names from the worlds of entertainment and film at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby 2015,” said Aileen O’Brien, PR consultant to the event.