‘RTÉ coverage would be a huge boost’

KILLARNEY Racecourse Manager Philip O’Brien said it would be a huge boost for promoting Killarney Races if RTÉ could televise a meeting live from the track.

Mr O’Brien was responding to a question about how difficult it is to publicise the course when the general public is prohibited from entering due to the social-distancing rules.

He mentioned that only subscribers to the Racing TV channel get to watch the action at Killarney, which is obviously aimed at a specific audience.

In recent weeks, RTÉ Sport has televised live horse racing from tracks around the country in a bid to promote the sport at a time when other sports are prohibited from taking place.

“It would be massive if RTÉ came in and covered a meeting here,” said Mr O’Brien.

“That would be massive for us. It can be hard to keep racing relevant as, in one sense, this is racing’s time in the limelight. Racing is a social event, and it’s hard to keep it relevant when you can’t do that,” he said.

Voted one of the most scenic racecourses in the world, Killarney Racecourse will today ( Wednesday) host its third meeting of the month in what is a radically restructured series of meetings to what it would normally be accustomed to at this time of year.

Mr O’Brien explains that ‘it’s difficult’ to get used to looking at empty stands and not being able to meet racegoers.

“It feels like a long day with little or no interaction in between races,” he said.

“For the jockeys and trainers, it’s business as usual, but not meeting people and conversing with the public is difficult,” he added.

It’s not known yet when the general public will be allowed return to racetracks. August, or early autumn, is being mooted as a possible starting point, which is contingent on the numbers of people contracting the virus reducing.

“We’re still attracting quality horses. Even this week alone, trainers Aidan and Joseph O’Brien sent 17 horses between them to Killarney. It’s a massive compliment to Killarney Racecourse as you’re talking about one of the powerhouses of racing.”

He concluded: “It’s a first step; there is action here and the wheel is rolling in the right direction.”

Photo by Domnick Walsh Horses and riders taking part in the MC Construction Handicap at Killarney on Tuesday. No members of the public were at the track due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RIGHT: Photo By Domnick Walsh. Jockeys heading to the paddock at Killarney on Tuesday evening wearing the now-mandatory face mask.

Photo by Domnick Walsh A sign of the times. Racing taking place in Killarney in front of an empty grand stand. Under normal conditions the stand would be filled with racegoers.