The Island comes alive for Listowel Races

CONCERN GROWING AMID CLAIMS THE HRI IS ‘CHIPPING AWAY’ AT LISTOWEL’S PROUD SPORTING HERITAGE

ANOTHER year of brilliant action on the Island comes amid even greater concern locally that the governing body of the industry is not doing enough to support Ireland’s second-biggest race meeting.

With the recently-formed Champions Weekend in the Curragh still running into the first day of the Listowel Races, the Laytown Races taking place on Tuesday of this week and news that Gowran Park will clash with Listowel’s Saturday card next year, many are questioning the HRI’s attitude towards the big Munster meeting.

That said, few were critical of the magnificent new stand and facilities building unveiled to the wider public on the Island this week in a massive boost to the Listowel brand. It’s been a brilliant hub of racing fun since Sunday and is braced for its first major test with tens of thousands hitting the Island - amid a good weather forecast - each day from Wednesday.

But as Billy Keane wrote in his Irish Independent column of Saturday the money spent on it is ‘ but a fraction of the monies being pumped into the Curragh’.

The column’s claims that the HRI is ‘chipping away at Listowel’s sporting heritage’ struck a deep chord with many long-frustrated by the apparent disparity in how this rural meeting is treated next its Leinster peers.

Highlighting the clash with Gowran Park on the Saturday of 2017, Billy called on the HRI to comparatively publish its figures for promoting Listowel and the Champions Meeting, posing the question: “Would the HRI award days to courses that compete with Punchestown and Galway?”

The Kerryman was unable to get an official statement from the HRI on Tuesday, but a spokesperson said the body had consulted fully with Listowel on the clash with Gowran Park - the result of a request from the Irish Stable Staff Association.

They also said that the Laytown beach racing would not clash next year due to tides.

Photos by Domnick Walsh ABOVE: Tralee man Raymond Sugrue with Listowel pals Jeremiah McElligott and Peter Coffey. LEFT: Rebecca, John Joe and Sophie Flavin from Tarbert. BELOW LEFT: Edwina Endl studying the card and cutting quite the dash in a colourful trilby. BELOW RIGHT:...

Photo by Domnick Walsh Punters strain to get as close as possible to the action in Listowel.

Margaret Kelly and Kevin Cunningham (back) with Eleanor Curran and Martin Higgins on Sunday.

Swede times a-racin’ in flamboyant suits: Swedish racing fans Knudsen and Elias Knudsen studying the form on the Island.