THE Curragh got something right last weekend.

Okay, the crowds didn’t come close to matching Listowel but there was a definite buzz at HQ last Saturday and Sunday for what was a very promising first staging of the Autumn Racing Festival.

Just over 10,000 attended over both days and it deserved more. At €20 (€15 in advance) it was very good value. The Taste of Kildare food festival created a vibrant atmosphere in the Champions Hall and you could have no complaints about the racing.

Shaky start

Saturday got off to a shaky start. As we approached the Curragh motorway exit from the Dublin side at around noon, an unexpected heavy shower of rain fell. It passed quickly enough and we were briefly thrilled to see long queues of cars heading for the track from all directions. Could the free tickets for owners and breeders be working?

Unfortunately it soon emerged that a fatal motorway accident overnight was the reason for the long delay. A section of the M7 northbound just after the Curragh remained closed, meaning that all Dublin-bound traffic from the south was being diverted by gardaí up the Curragh ramp, all around the Fionn MacCumhaill roundabout, over the bridge and down backroads.

It caused huge traffic jams with some reports of a three-hour delay getting to the track, depending on which side you were coming from.

We were inside before 12.30pm and it was understandably a little quiet. In the parade ring, MCs Brendan McArdle and Thom Malone were chatting to Henry Beeby, Cathy Grassick, David Jennings and William Hill’s Will Lattimore about the day’s racing.

A few ladies from Newbridge were inspecting half a dozen food trucks and stalls located near The Queen’s Room. “Is this the Taste of Kildare?” they wondered. Maybe it is, we shrugged, feeling a bit let down.

Genuine shock

But then we stepped into the Champions Hall (old Tote hall) and, boy, did we get a surprise. It was genuinely a shock to see 30 or more food and drink stalls lining up, each one looking very professional and appetising. Some were offering free samples, others selling hot plates, chocolates, drinks of all flavour, breads, buns, whatever you wanted.

That’s all fine, says you, but what’s it got to do with the racing? Listen, if you were here in the rain on Champions Weekend, when the Hall felt like some kind of purgatory you had to endure between races, seeing a food festival, the Newbridge Gospel Choir belting out the hits, and happy faces everywhere made you feel like you were in New Orleans for the mardi gras.

For once, those of us in steerage on this cruise ship felt like we were the centre of attention. It was all happening on the lower decks. Just to be sure, your correspondent had a stroll through the private suites on the top floor and there was very little going on up there.

Quiet bars

Several of the public bars and restaurants were quiet. The Lilywhites bar on the second floor, overlooking the winning post, had plenty of spare tables, as did The Oaks and the St Leger restaurants. There was live music in the Derby bar but not many drinkers. To be fair, as the weather improved throughout the afternoon, it was a day to be outside.

We met a bunch of 15 lads from Strabane Sigersons GAA posing for a photograph at the Lester Piggott statue. They didn’t come for the food, or the racing, come to think of it. There was a couple of hen parties on-site too and they added a bit of colour to proceedings. The betting ring still looked a lonely and exposed spot, however.

The clouds lifted and the sun shone quite strongly as the day developed. The major races from Newmarket were shown in their entirety on the big screens, and there were some good interviews with winning connections broadcast.

Overall it was a good experience and those who were there could not have many complaints. The official attendance on Saturday was 4,725 and this rose to 5,825 on Sunday.

The Curragh won’t be able to put on a food festival at every fixture but they will surely have learned plenty from last weekend and can build on that.