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I’m going over to Goodwood on Friday and Saturday and a friend of mine asked why I wouldn’t go to the Galway races instead.
I said just because there is a pay as you play golf course up the road doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go to play at Augusta if I could!
I really can’t get excited about Galway, it’s pure muck in my eyes in terms of the standard. And yet it gets massive crowds! To me it says a lot about Irish peoples’ appreciation of a good session rather than quality race horses!
Is there a poorer meeting anywhere getting those sort of crowds?
You’re bang on with that, it’s just a social occasion, party, like we have with Royal Ascot.
Difference with RA is that it stages world class races featuring world class horses.
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It reminds me of a similar meeting in Victoria Australia which was also hugely popular in the past. Like Galway it was a mixture of Flat and Jumps racing but sadly the PC saddos have seen Jumps Racing banned in Oz. Not sure what will happen to the Warrnambool fixture now.
Ultimately these meetings are great for catching up with people and making new friends. Very social events and that’s nothing bad. They’ve never been about the best horseflesh on offer but are hugely popular with the public and industry professionals.
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It has always been poor in terms of quality but credit to Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Tourist Board for creating a festival out of it for the week and generating/encouraging consumer spending and making the most out of poor racing. The fact that Galway enjoys equal attendences to that of the Cheltenham festival is a credit to the organisers.
The BHB could learn a lot. Its called thinking outside the box. Galway is about more than just the racing, there are concerts and events all over the city for the week. Credit to them
Somehow I doubt very much if there will be as much economic benefit enjoyed in the Goowood area this year even though the racing is much much better.
Perhaps Raving For Change and the BHB need to except that British Horse Racing on its own won’t attract newcomers and they need to take a leaf out of Galways book, there will be 1000’s of Americans attending Galway this week. How many foreign visitors /newcomers will be at Goodwood?
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I’m going over to Goodwood on Friday and Saturday and a friend of mine asked why I wouldn’t go to the Galway races instead.
I said just because there is a pay as you play golf course up the road doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go to play at Augusta if I could!
I really can’t get excited about Galway, it’s pure muck in my eyes in terms of the standard. And yet it gets massive crowds! To me it says a lot about Irish peoples’ appreciation of a good session rather than quality race horses!
Is there a poorer meeting anywhere getting those sort of crowds?
Just to note the Galway festival is expected to generate €75 Million to the local economy for the week, betting turnover will be around €25 Million, there will be 250 interntional flights into the area related to the festival, 300 helicopter flights.
The racing festival has played a huge part in The Volvo Ocean race yet again choosing Galway for a leg of their race, which brings around €60 Million in the local economy.
You mention that you feel "it says a lot about Irish peoples’ appreciation of a good session rather than quality race horses!" You might be right, although if you are right then its more than just the Irish with 250 interntional flights for the week, but personally I feel it says a lot about Horse Racing Ireland working really well with the various tourist bodies and local business groups in creating such a unique racing experience
Why cant Goodwood generate the same benefits to their local economy??? Lets be honest the racing is on a different level so surely they can do a better job right???
How many foreign visitors /newcomers will be at Goodwood?
Well I’m a foreigner and I’m going to Goodwood.
The Galway festival isn’t doing anything to increase the popularity of horse racing in Ireland, all it is doing is ensuring the black stuff gets a boast in sales. I know people who go to Galway every year but wouldn’t pick Ruby Walsh out of a police line up and never visit another racecourse all year round.
You & the HRI has a long way to go if ye the think a good session accompanied with moderate racing is the answer to all Irish racing’s woes.
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How many foreign visitors /newcomers will be at Goodwood?
Well I’m a foreigner and I’m going to Goodwood.
The Galway festival isn’t doing anything to increase the popularity of horse racing in Ireland, all it is doing is ensuring the black stuff gets a boast in sales. another racecourse all year round.
I know people who go to Galway every year but wouldn’t pick Ruby Walsh out of a police line up and never visit
You & the HRI has a long way to go if ye the think a good session accompanied with moderate racing is the answer to all Irish racing’s woes.Am I missing something here???
"I know people who go to Galway every year but wouldn’t pick Ruby Walsh out of a police line up"Seems to me like HRI are attracting people to horse racing who don’t really know much about it yet are going there and paying to get in, and spending money, and as such horse racing benefits..
At the moment the only way British Racing is attracting newcomers is by staging X Factor concerts after racing, and how many of those could pick Ruby Walsh out of a police line up?? More to the point how many of those even bother to watch the racing or have a bet???
Racing For Change could learn a lot from Galway.
Its time to wake up and realise horse racing on its own does not appeal to outsiders and you need to create and promote the day out as an experience rather than concentrating on the racing on its own if you want people to pay through the gate…
Mark Johnston said himself some English horse racing is painfull to watch sometimes its so bad.. Some of the racing at Galway is also painfull to watch, the difference is they have 40,000 people there today wathcing it!!!
HRI have done incredibly well to promote a festival where I think we all agree the racing is poor at best..
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I’m not a huge fan of Irish racing in general, but suffering events from Galway certainly ranks higher than watching Gordon Elliott play games at Perth.
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Goodwood expect 100,000 people through the gate for their festival.
Galway expect 200,000 people through the gate for their festival.
Considering Goodwood has several Group One events and Galway is limited to handicaps.
Fairly obvious people going racing want more than quality racing, they want a good day.
BHB need to listen to their customers…
For what its worth I think the standard at Galway is really bad too but Im also realistic to realise that in order to keep horse racing viable the various bodies need to realise that horse racing alone wont grow the sport and get more people spending at the race course.
Your point that your friends going to Galway dont know any of the jockeys is a great advertisement to Galway in that they can attract non race fans to go to their festival and spend money, what better compliment could there be to the organisers..
The racing is very poor.
Doesn’t Matter mind you when the crowds come in such enormous numbers. Its a real social event and their is prob another 20-30k people in Galway that don’t go for the races but just for the Social and the craic as they say.
Its a nice part of the world so i can see why is very very popular among irish folk.
Its poor racing though…but if Gents like Dermot Weld are in love with the place i guess it most be brilliant
Ruby Walsh insights on RTE are worth taking the day off work. He really adds a much needed dimension to the coverage.
Legend
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If you look at the Goodwood website, one of their selling points is as follows;
"Mingle with the celebrities!
See the flash and the famous from trainers to jockeys and A-listers to Soap stars and all the celebrities in between. They’ll be here watching some of Britain’s favourite horse racing and so should you. Mix and mingle in one of this year’s most fabulous social experiences that’ll deliver a spectacular day for all to enjoy and leave you wanting more! "So its not just Galway that are selling the social experience. Its interesting that Channel Four now have Matt Dawson on their team, what does he know about horse racing? They also spend about half an hour concentrating on fashion and what people are wearing?? Again what does that have to do with horse racing?? The answer is nothing but they also realise that in order to get viewers they cant base their whole programme around horse racing because it just doesnt generate enough interest, and if it gets more people tuning in then personally I see nothing wrong with it.
"You & the HRI has a long way to go if ye the think a good session accompanied with moderate racing is the answer to all Irish racing’s woes." Im struglling to see how such high attendences and such high levels of consumer spending can be a bad thing.
Wow! Some really silly posts here. I think some people forget the one of the attractions of horse racing is entertainment. Although the racing is not "top class", the prize money is a street ahead of most meetings in these islands.
JohnJ
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Ruby Walsh insights on RTE are worth taking the day off work. He really adds a much needed dimension to the coverage.
Legend
Ruby Walsh on RTE for the week or Matt Dawson on Channel Four for the week
No competition really…
I do however think its a good idea from Channel Four to bring someone in from outside the sport directly, they have enough horse racing opinions on the show, another one would be too mucj. Hopefully the addition of Dawson might attract first time viewers…
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Wow! Some really silly posts here. I think some people forget the one of the attractions of horse racing is entertainment. Although the racing is not "top class", the prize money is a street ahead of most meetings in these islands.
JohnJ
Agreed
How anybody can see Galway as being bad for racing is beyond me
B27,
How could generating substantial income year in year out at Galway be bad for Irish racing?
John
Wow! Some really silly posts here. I think some people forget the one of the attractions of horse racing is entertainment. Although the racing is not "top class", the prize money is a street ahead of most meetings in these islands.
JohnJ
Agreed
How anybody can see Galway as being bad for racing is beyond me
Definitely not bad for the industry and Irish Punters but is an even lesser standard than Whitbread Gold Cup Day at Sandown, mixed card.
You don’t get many decent English raiders there.
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