Bumper weekend of National Hunt racing on cards at Navan festival

Big feature chases over two days in November

In another world, Ciaran Flynn could have last week been enjoying the Paralympic Games in the French capital. The Duleek man's previous role as operations and performance manager of the Irish Paralympic team saw him as chief organiser of getting the members to Tokyo for the delayed 2020 Olympics, which took place the following year.

Instead of being in Paris last week, he was hosting a business lunch at Navan racecourse, launching details of the 2024 Navan Racing Festival, as manager of the Proudstown track.

Appointed just last month, he has been operations lead at Navan since 2022, succeeding Aidan McGarry,who has moved on to Naas.

“When I was standing at the back of the launch of last year's festival, I didn't expect to be sitting up here as manager this year,” he told MC, David Jennings of the Racing Post at the event marking the beginning of the campaign for the festival on 16th and 17th November.

“As a Meath man I know how much the racecourse means to the county, and the next few months will be very exciting as we prepare for the festival.”

He looks forward to engaging with the local community on the back of last year's success, and getting feedback on what worked, bringing ideas forward.

Last year's November Festival saw the two marquee National Hunt feature races, the historic Troytown Chase and the fast and furious Fortria Chase, brought together for two days back to back.

Flynn said there were strong attendances last year, good racing, and positive feedback from those attending, and they wanted to build on that this year, bringing people's ideas on board. The festival is in a nice position on the National Hunt calendar, he added, saying it attracts the big trainers with good horses. There is €700,000 of prizemoney on offer.

Louise O'Regan, racecourse marketing executive, outlined how the first two days of consecutive racing in Navan's calendar is a great opportunity to showcase the track and also Navan town by drawing attendees for a whole weekend of top class racing action.

In the 2023 inaugural year,she said the Saturday attendance (3,722) was up 27 per cent, and the Sunday crowds of 4,493 were up two per cent.

“The weather was terrible that weekend, and my main worry was no-one would show, but that so many people did shows how the Navan people love their racing and racetrack, the historic nature of the race and how it is embedded in Meath's culture.”

This was helped by advance ticket sales of 80 per cent of all tickets, an increase of 53 per cent on previous years.

She highlighted the shuttle bus service to the town, which would be expanded this year, and the provision of music in pubs in the town for post-racing entertainment. There would be enhancements at the racecourse, with new areas and activations, activation at the shuttle bus collection point, and a 'We are PROUDstown' shop window dressing competition. Simonstown GAA grounds would also be used for car parking and fundraising, while there would be a press morning and sponsors day nearer the declarations.

The festival was televised on RTE, with 120,200 peak viewers and an average of 83,700.

David Jennings highlighted that so many of the horses that had raced at last year's festival went on to Cheltenham success, such as Captain Guinness, Stellar Story, Gold Cup favourite Fact to File, Limerick Lace, and Brighter Days Ahead, the next big thing from the Gordon Elliott stable.

The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring Martyn Pipe, CEO of UK-based Race & Stay; businessman and owner of The Central Bar & Grill, Michael Gavigan and Shirley Brady, group general manager of Cusack Hotel Group.