Action necessary to revive attendances

WITH Galway just around the corner, the last thing on the course executives" minds will be small crowds. Over the years this meeting has grown and grown and they will tell you that it is one of the country"s biggest sporting attractions, if not the biggest. However, at the other end of the spectrum has to be Fairyhouse. They raced at the Ratoath track last week on Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon and I doubt that if you added the two attendances together they would come to anything that would resemble acceptable. The powers that be will use the old chestnut that you need jump racing on the card to attract the people through the turnstiles, but I"m not sure the problem is that simple. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Irish race fan is definitely more attracted to the national hunt game and our audience in general is more jumping orientated, but our racecourses are in danger of using this excuse as a way of not trying hard enough to make our flat programme a more attractive product. When I was a young racegoer I used to love going down to the last fence or hurdle to watch my heroes in action and nowadays that"s not allowed - unfortunately. I can honestly say there was nothing like the buzz you got from being up close to the action, hearing the jockeys shouting for room and even sometimes catching a loose one and riding them back to the paddock! All of that had me hooked from an early age and gave me the love for the sport that eventually gave me a career. So I ask the question - where has all that mystique gone? Where are the young racegoers? What is missing that used to make horse racing so attractive? I don"t know the answers, but I do know that we have to get the young interested again and if that means free entry, then so be it. But at the moment the only youth attending meetings are the sons and daughters of owners and trainers. The one thing I have noticed is that the privately run tracks seem to have a better grasp on the situation. They still have that personal touch that is needed in our society and they make a better fist of making the day an enjoyable experience, yet they too fail to achieve value for money. Now I don"t profess to know how to solve this problem, or even if it can be solved, but I do think there are small things that should be addressed immediately to start making a day at the races a more attractive and value-for-money experience for the customer. The cost of refreshments at the races is ridiculous and if the caterers are being charged an excessive franchise for their services then that cost has to be forwarded onto the paying customer. So straight away it is obvious to me that the franchise should cease for the benefit of the racegoer! Last week was one of those that trainers dread, but know are going to happen, as I lost a nice old servant to the yard in Dynamo Dancer. Just after finishing his morning exercise 'Dave", as we called him, dropped down dead, probably as a result of a heart attack. These things happen and as the saying goes: 'If you have livestock you will have dead stock!' Since Bellewstown we have been hitting the crossbar with our runners and I could see that it was starting to play on the minds of a few us in the yard, but thankfully we had a nice double at Fairyhouse on Sunday, courtesy of Invincible Joe and Nice Style. Keagan Latham, our South African stable jockey, who continues to impress superbly, rode both horses. I will write a piece with Keagan for you over the next few weeks that I think you will find very interesting and will give you a nice insight into his background and how he compares things here in Ireland to his native land. Invincible Joe may turn out next week at Galway for a handicap as his owner is a Galway man and I would love to train him a Galway winner. Slam Dunk, his other nice three year-old, is being aimed at the Tote Galway Mile (premier handicap) worth €160,000 next Tuesday and will also hold an entry in the big Michael McNamara race over seven furlongs on the Sunday (€150,000), a race I won a few years ago with Amourallis. Racing this week kicked off at Ballinrobe on Monday and Tuesday and we move to Naas on Wednesday where I may run Young Jemmy if the ground is fast. Leopardstown is on Thursday where they will host two group three races, the Tyros Stakes for two-year-olds over seven furlongs and the Meld Stakes for three-year-olds and up over one mile, two furlongs. I hold an entry in the Tyros with Lacka Dancer which ran a blinder last week here in the Silver Flash Stakes (group three) when fourth. This is a tiny filly with a big heart and the immediate aim is to get some valuable black type for her, which will enhance her value when she goes to stud. By running in the first three you achieve that and last week she failed by the narrowest of margins when beaten a head for third. Edmondstown Lass has been knocking on the door recently and she may run in the six furlong handicap on this card and if she does I would be very hopeful that she could win. Amazingly, we have an all-jump card in the middle of our flat season on Thursday at Limerick and a mixed card at Wexford on Friday and, believe it or not, absolutely no racing on Saturday! We then are off to the Curragh on Sunday where we have two listed races backing up the first two-year-old group one of the year - the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes. Aidan O"Brien dominates the entry at this point with eight; Kevin Prendergast has five, while there are four from Britain holding an entry. I will hold entries with Pasar Silbano in the Curragh Stakes over five furlongs and Elletelle in the Sweet Mimosa Stakes over six furlongs. Both fillies are well and I was delighted with Elletelle at Fairyhouse last Sunday. I feel that once I get her out of the habit of missing the break then we will be back in business! Obviously, if the ground is soft or has soft in the description they won"t run and will wait for other assignments. The marathon that is Galway starts next Monday and the world and its granny seem to be heading west! Although I am not a fan I will have runners and I will travel up and down each day. I"m told the Moate bypass has been opened recently and that can only be a good thing, as this can be a very long week. A mixture of all types of races will be on the agenda for the betting public, with the highlights being the William Hill Galway Plate on Wednesday and the Guinness Galway Hurdle on the Thursday. As I already alluded to earlier, the Premier Handicaps on Tuesday and Sunday will be the highlights of the flat programme. If you"re thinking of attending the festival then I wish you well and I hope you have plenty of luck. But just remember to pace yourself! Enjoy. n Visit the Ger Lyons website: www.gerlyons.ie