GOWRAN Park unveiled a new weighroom building on Wednesday.

Work only began on the project last March and it was finished by December – on time and on budget. It will be used for the first time on Thursday, January 25th, when the feature race is the Goffs Thyestes Chase.

As well as the actual weighroom and declarations desk, the facility includes state-of-the-art changing facilities for male and female jockeys, a dining area for riders, a new stewards’ room and media rooms.

Racecourse chairman Joe Connolly said: “This is a very important day. Racing started here in 1914. We inherited Gowran Park from the previous shareholders and it is our responsibility to have it in good stead for the people who come behind us.”

He thanked Dunlop Architects, Ormond Construction, local politicians, Gowran’s board members and, of course, track manager Eddie Scally and his team, for delivering the project so efficiently. He also acknowledged the grant-aid from Horse Racing Ireland which made it possible.

HRI chief executive Suzanne Eade said: “Gowran Park deserves a weighroom of this quality. The racecourse has met all the requirements set out by both HRI and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. We have world class jockeys and now they have world-class facilities. We love to see racecourses with vision and ambition, and Eddie and the team here have delivered on that.”

Speaking to MC Kevin O’Ryan, Eade noted the weighroom’s glass frontage which will allow racegoers to see what goes on inside. “It’s so important for racing fans to be able to interact with jockeys. I see it all the time here at Gowran, in particular.”

Champion trainer Willie Mullins added: “This is a fantastic new facility, following on from the construction of the new stable yard and new grandstand. Gowran Park is a fabulously picturesque racecourse and the Gowran executive have made a feature of that.”

Racecourse manager Eddie Scally said: “There were so many people involved in this job. The board and ourselves made a conscious decision at the start to engage with everyone in the industry – the valets, vets, jockeys and racing officials. We have tried our best to get it right.

“The people who deserve the biggest round of applause are Dunlop Architects and Ormond Construction. They have delivered exactly what we wanted. A lot of credit must go to HRI as well. They have made a huge investment in Gowran Park.”

Scally said the rooftop of the weighroom will have a directors’ room and sponsors’ lounge, due to be opened in April. The next project is the construction of a club lounge in the main grandstand, which will hold the owners and trainers’ bar, and racecourse members.

Henry Beeby, CEO of Goffs, said: “It’s great to see such an investment in facilities. It only enhances what is one of the most popular racecourses in the country. We at Goffs are very proud to come here.”

Killed in action

ACCORDING to racecourse chairman Joe Connolly, jockeys who rode at Gowran Park’s first meeting in 1914 proved such good horsemen that they were all signed up to fight in World War I. They were all dead within six weeks.

Crowning glory

RACECOURSE manager Eddie Scally is a fan of Netflix series The Crown. He was watching an episode over Christmas and was amused to hear Queen Elizabeth II begin a speech by informing guests that “Hedgehunter has just won the Grand National, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh.” Unfortunately she didn’t mention the horse had previously won the Thyestes.