Galway Racecourse reaps the rewards of hard work
Ballybrit general manager Michael Moloney tells how innovation at the track has yielded results, with a €2m prize pot attracting a top-class field
ANOTHER year, another addition to the offering at Ballybrit. That’s the way it has to be for general manager of Galway racecourse Michael Moloney and his staff. To keep people coming back, you have to give them something new every time.
“What we are always trying to do is look to change things and improve things, and offer something new each year. That’s what we are trying to do for this summer’s festival,” Moloney explains.
So this year there’s a new festival village. It will include a marquee with live music every day of the festival along with bookmakers, a tote facility and a betting shop as well as a shopping village and a food court.
There are big plans in place ahead of next year’s festival too. When the racing concludes, the old tote building will make way for a new multi-million euro development to be in place for the 2018 festival.
“I think that’s they key to it. You have to keep moving forward and keep improving your facilities. That’s what we always try to do in Galway. When the festival is over we’ll be looking at knocking the old long tote building next to the parade ring and we’ll be starting a new €6m development. We plan to have that ready for the 2018 festival, so we are already making plans for future.”
Last year’s improvements brought big rewards. For the first time in its current format, Ballybrit won the HRI’s Racecourse of the Year award.
“When I came back from Plumpton, that was one of the things that in the next three or four years we’d certainly aim to achieve that and be at the level required to obtain that award. The facilities are very good in Galway.
‘There has been heavy investment over the last 20 years — something like €50m has been spent, so Galway was in a good position. But we made a few small changes last year, like the experience for our owners and trainers where there was a new private lounge.
“Those small changes got us over the line to obtain the award and it’s a big deal among racecourses and it is great to be recognised. We have a lot of hard-working staff that work here in the depths of winter when there is no racing so it is great for them to get that award going into the festival.”
If the venue is winning awards, the action on the track is speaking for itself. Last year, Capri and Wings of Eagles ran at the festival on their way to winning the Epsom and Irish Derbies respectively this summer.
Moloney agrees that the quality of runners has improved in Galway, partly because the track in in pristine condition and partly because the prize fund to pot for the week has broken through the €2m for the first time.
“Credit to the team on the ground; there was drainage work done four or five years ago and we’re starting to see the fruits of that now on the track. It is probably in the best condition it has been in 20 years and that’s credit to Gerry Broderick our track foreman and his team. So you have Aidan O’Brien, Willie Mullins, Dermot Weld, who are all minding horses for the summer and bringing them to Galway.
“It’s also a credit to the prize money we have in Galway. We are going to have a record fund this year of €2m, the first time we have ever reached that, and that’s credit to the local and national sponsors we have who support us during the week.
“We have 52 races, all fully sponsored, and we have the support of HRI too. They are all big pots; we have a €100,000 race on offer every day. When that’s on offer, some of the trainers take note of that and they target horses for Galway.”
Everything is pointing towards a big week in Galway. The corporate hospitality for the first six days of the meeting was sold out well in advance of the festival. Advance sales were strong too.
None of the sponsors for the first five days has changed, underlining the appeal the festival holds for them.
“They all have their position. There will be around 150,000 racegoers and live on RTÉ and ATR so they can get good coverage at Galway.”
This year will be a little different as the Galway hurlers will contest their All-Ireland semi-final on the Sunday of the festival, but supporters of the Tribesmen will be catered for as well as the big screens will show the match.
The final touches will be in place at the last minute and there’s always something that can be improved. But mostly Moloney and Co will be just looking for co-operation from the weather.
“You saw last year on the Tuesday evening we had very poor weather and the crowd was down 6,000 or 7,000 people. There’s no doubt the weather affects us. I was talking to someone who follows the Norwegian forecast and I believe it is the forecast the airports use and it is suppose to be fairly reliable. The longterm outlook says we are meant to have a settled dry period, so hopefully we’ll get a bit of that.”
We have a €100,000 race on offer every day. When that’s on offer, the trainers take note of that and they target horses for Galway