CO Carlow’s Shane Webb has settled in well as head groundsman at Down Royal racecourse and, having been pleased with how the on-course action went at the two-day Festival of Racing last month, is now looking forward to the track’s Boxing Day meeting.

“We used the majority of the track during the Festival, and trainers were very appreciative of that fact, but we still kept some back for Boxing Day,” Webb told us earlier this week. “Since the Festival, the ground has been walked-in, rolled-in and gone over with a verti drain and is in very good order.

“The ground here is a bit like chalk and cheese and isn’t simple to look after. It can get very quick in the home straight, which requires a lot of watering during the summer, but it can get a lot softer down the back. We have to keep an eye on the river (Lagan); it was just rising to the top of the bank before the Festival but, thankfully, didn’t run over.

“The thing to remember is, you can’t control the weather but just have to deal with problems as they arise. Thankfully, I have a very good team in Robert, Norman, Robbie, Kyle and Megan and we all work well together.

“The fences have all been repaired and redressed with greenery where needed since the festival and, during any wet days, we have been working indoors on the hurdles. We use the traditional hurdles here but these all now have PVC wrap on the top bar to make them safer for the horses.”

Webb, who was appointed head groundsman in May, previously worked at the Curragh, Leopardstown, Ascot and Ballydoyle Racing. He never rode himself but played gaelic football at Minor and under 21 level for Carlow and is a very competitive athlete.

“I haven’t played football for about three years but, now that I have settled into the job and life up here, I hope to start again with a local team,” said Shane who lives in a cottage in the centre of the racecourse.

“I have, however, kept up the running and train at the Mary Peters Athletics Track in Belfast. I still compete for St Laurence O’Toole AC in Carlow and, last weekend, won the 200 metres in the National Indoor Arena in Abbottstown where I hope to compete in the Leinster indoor championships in February.”