RWITC steps up international presence with Cup in Ireland - By Vivek Jain
Posted on - 10 Jul 2013
RWITC steps up international presence with Cup in Ireland
By Vivek Jain
The RWITC created history last year by having a race named in its honour at the Singapore Turf Club (STC), and we reciprocated the gesture by having a race for STC in Mumbai and followed it up with a Singapore vs India apprentice match weekend in April.
During a visit by the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) delegation to Pune for the sales, a casual chat with Elaine Hatton, General Manager, ITM, who heads the sponsorship effort of Irish companies at Pune, resulted in Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) accepting to host, for the first time, a race in honour of an Indian Turf Authority at a major European race track.
The RWITC Cup, a race for 2 year olds over 1,400 metres was run at Leopardstown, in Dublin, on American Independence Day- July 4th. Even though the race had only 6 runners, the presence of juveniles from the top yards of the Epsom Derby winning trainer, Aidan O’Brien, who has reached the top echelons of thoroughbred racing and Irish Derby winning trainer, Jim Bolger and a ride by Derby winning jockey, Joseph O’Brien, added to the quality of the event. The race was won by the favourite Exogenesis, trained by G.M.Lyons.
I was invited by Pat Keogh, CEO, Leopardstown Race Course, with whom I had dinner the previous evening, to come to the race course well before the first race (6.15pm local time) to view the facilities and understand how this over 150 year old race track, is upgrading itself. Like at Mumbai, the introduction of entertainment, has added a new dimension, and more visibility. On the RWITC Cup Day, a live Irish band was to perform at 9 pm, under the banner It’s a Summer Evening Feeling, which has made racing more attractive. And as the sun sets only past 10 pm, it was possible to have racing from 6-9 pm in natural light, and there is no night racing in Ireland. Pat Keogh, CEO L’town and Celine Eiry
Leopardstown, a 20 minute drive from city centre in Dublin, has only 16 race meetings a year, both National Hunt and Flat. The CEO informed me that the same portion of the track is never used twice- as the huge width allows them this luxury! Like in India, attendance is a challenge, as is sponsorships, and my extended conversation with Pat revealed similar issues facing racing in both countries. The average attendance is just 7,000 and declining. A concerted effort is being made to upgrade the Irish Champion Stakes, this race track’s star race, worth 750,000 Euros, and the sixth richest race in the world, as mentioned by their CEO. Infact, a huge effort is underway to upgrade the facilities, which already boasts of a vast array of hospitality areas, including spanking air conditioned dining with a view of the track.
I had a chance to also visit The Curragh, home of the Irish Derby in Kildare, and though impressive, the facilities are in desperate need of a face lift, and infact Leopardstown, if at all, showed out in comparison. Of Ireland’s 26 race tracks, the Curragh, like Mahalaxmi in India, is home to the five Irish classics.
The RWITC Cup was presented by Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, Chairman, RWITC, in a very simple, non ostentatious presentation. I had presented the trophy for the opening race. There is hardly any fanfare and no leading in. The winning horse and connections are given a portion of the paddock for the photos and then they are taken to a lounge for a champagne celebration!
It was good to have met several of our partners at the afternoon- ITM’s Elaine and Celine Eiry who was with me throughout my trip and a superb hostess, Michael O’Hagan, who was the man responsible for bringing ITM to India, Joe Connolly, Chairman of Gowran Park Race Track and CEO of Red Mills, who are sponsoring a Million race at Pune, Maurice Maloney of Coolmore and Joey Cullen of Goffs. This year we have attracted five Irish sponsorships at Pune- ITM, Goffs, Coolmore, Red Mills and Thoroughbred Remedies- a new record. I also got a chance to meet with the legendary John Oxx, who trained the champion See the Stars, and who impressed me with his humility and pleasant personality.
On the day before I had a chance to visit the world famous Coolmore Stud, home of the No.1 stallion in the world, Galileo. Set over a mind boggling 4,500 acres in Fethard, the farm has a roster of 23 stallions, led by Galileo, and such big names as So You Think, Canford Cliffs, Pour Moi, Harry the Navigator, Excelebration and more! It boasts of over 600 broodmares and is the pride of John Magnier- who has won the Epsom Derby a record four times. The piece de resistance is the Museum, not open normally to visitors, with a life like replica of Sadler’s Wells, champion sire in the U.K. and Ireland a record 14 times!! A mould was created on his death a few years back, with real hide of the horse, and it took 2,500 hours by a German sculptor to produce a virtual splitting image of this great sire. The Museum has stunning trophies and brilliantly produced videos of Coolmore’s champions. Hopefully we can do something similar at Mahalaxmi! Needless to say, the stallion stables, paddocks and covering yard are outstanding and statues of Yeats, winner of the Gold Cup a record four times and Sadlers Wells adorn the lawns, an honour given only to the farm’s great heroes.
