WHAT did you do last night? No, this is not an intrusive question concerning your private life. Rather, if you are a racing fan, the answer might well be that you were at Dundalk Stadium to watch their eight-race card.

If you were there, you will have seen a hugely competitive programme of racing, given that all but one of the races had reserves listed. With a maximum field size allowed of 14 runners, there can be no finer endorsement of the need for Dundalk’s all-weather facility in Ireland. No race at Dundalk is now worth less than €10,000, and values go upwards after that.

The flat programme also includes a Group 3 and five listed races and one of the latter will take on even more significance than normal next year. March 2nd will see the running of the €75,000 Listed Patton Stakes, won this year by the Aidan O’Brien-trained War Secretary. In 2018 the race will be part of a new initiative that guarantees one European horse a place in next year’s Kentucky Derby.

The Patton Stakes will be the penultimate race in the ‘European Road to the Kentucky Derby’, a stand-alone series of seven one-mile races and with other European legs being run at Naas, Chantilly, Doncaster, Kempton and Newcastle. A place in the famous Kentucky Derby starting gate will be awarded to the horse that accrues the most points in the ‘European Road to the Kentucky Derby’ series.

Should that horse accept the invitation to compete they are guaranteed a run in the 144th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5th next year.

An added attraction for the Dundalk race is that there are extra points available as this leg of the series is being run on the all-weather. The first four past the post will get points.

Dundalk Stadium’s chief executive Jim Martin is naturally pleased with this initiative. He said: “We are delighted to be involved in this ‘European Road to the Kentucky Derby’. We plan to make this a great Irish/American evening at the track.

“Our involvement in the race is due in no small measure to the work of our director Ciaran Kennelly who worked closely with Mike Zeigler from Churchill Downs to make this series happen.”

This week Dundalk Stadium’s sales and marketing manager Emma Meehan told me that their Business Club is fully subscribed again, meaning that all their races from January to April 2018 will have a sponsor. For an investment of €1,500, the subscribers are entered into a draw and the winner receives the naming rights for the €60,000 Group 3 Diamond Stakes, Second prize is the naming rights for a listed race, while the third prize winner gets a full card sponsorship.

All other participants in the draw are entitled to a package worth at least €3,000 and this includes naming rights to a race, membership for the year of Dundalk Stadium, a quota of complimentary tickets and the company’s logo included in every racecard during 2018.

“This initiative worked so well last year and we are delighted to be repeating it again,” Emma told me. “It helps to generate great local interest, while we also welcome a number of national and international brands too.

“Sponsors then bring their staff and customers to a great night of racing, with many staying on afterwards for the greyhound action as well. The general feedback is that this is a most relaxed way to entertain, while enjoying a great party atmosphere.

“We are also thrilled that Malih Al Basti signed a three-year deal to sponsor the Carlingford and Mercury listed races and they also provide meals on the nights of their sponsorship to the stable staff.”