Frankie Dettori and his wife Katherine arrive at Killarney Racecourse by jaunting car © Photo Healy Racing
Leopardstown's chief executive Pat Keogh is to be given the task of lifting the siege at the Curragh. His precise role has yet to be defined although it probably means juggling roles for a while at Ireland's two premier flat racetracks. But in many ways he's in an enviable position. Expectations are so low at the Curragh that most anything he does will look like he's riding to the rescue.
Keogh's arrival, which is expected to be confirmed early this week, means the departure of the outgoing CEO Derek McGrath is likely to be accelerated.
That only confirms how important timing is. McGrath copped a lot of flak, some of it justified, but some not. He's had to carry the can when disillusionment at the course of Irish racing's biggest ever capital project has been at its height. Any improvement that occurs in future will get linked to his departure and that's unfair.
If timing will help Keogh so will his experience of juggling the interests and egos of the various shareholders and stakeholders involved. His record since being put in charge of Leopardstown in 2011 testifies to a sure political touch. But the scale of the task involved in turning around the Curragh's fortunes cannot be underestimated.
A train of thought exists about there being excessive negativity about the Curragh. Some are even prepared to pretend that spouting cod-Californian balls about 'paasitivity' will somehow change things. That's an attitude which suggests there actually hasn't been half enough negativity.
Irish racing's flagship development has turned into an embarrassing mess. Reluctance to at least acknowledge that suggests a readiness to kick various cans further and further down the road rather than properly dealing with them.
Because right now it's hard to convincingly counter those who've argued all along that the whole thing would turn out to be little more than a gigantic white elephant.
This is a project that's swallowed up €36 million of public money, came in over €16 million above budget, and has been leaking own-goals since even before it opened.
The horribly indulgent decision to effectively run its two big dates on a building site during construction was a PR disaster. The need to rip up an expensively laid parade ring because it was too small was cringe-worthy considering how much planning and expense was directed at an industry's flagship facility.
Since its actual opening there have been issues that might be indulgently filed under snag-list were it not for a context of insular entitlement which has created a perception of those at the top haughtily dismissing public criticism as mere disaffection from prole-ish malcontents who'll eventually go away.
On their own, each of the logistical issues such as an enigmatic screeching roof, rogue fire-alarms, a haughty ticketing policy and even regrettable queuing on Derby day, might charitably be described as a teething problem. Cumulatively it's a wincing catalogue that sees remedial measures required for a span-new facility which opened less than 80 days ago.
Counteractive measures are nothing compared to the job of altering states of mind that presume flak is something that just needs to be ridden out before returning to the status quo. That insults people's intelligence and makes a mockery of mission statements about the new Curragh being a vehicle for racing to reach out to new and greater audiences.
On that theme Saturday's Oaks attendance of 4,297 was more discouraging statistical evidence of the job Keogh & Co face over the remaining eight Curragh fixtures this year and beyond. That tally is just over 600 more than the Pretty Polly Stakes crowd on the second day of the Derby Festival which was widely acknowledged as disappointing.
It's curious then how the Curragh's reopening in May has been nominated as one of the reasons for a general near-nine per cent rise in attendances during the first half of 2019. Horse Racing Ireland figures say that 555,475 people went racing here in the first six months of this year compared to 510,337 in 2018. However even the fact these figures are backed up by increased betting turnover won't convince sceptics of any attendance boom.
It's not hard to see why either considering the industry's reputation for a less than precise calculation of crowd figures in the past. Whether mythic or not, at least the perception exists of arbitrary tots often involving every AIR card holder at a meeting and maybe even one or two who're not.
HRI can only work with the figures they're given and there is a belief in racing's ruling body that these figures are a lot more robust and accurate than they're sometimes given credit for. Establishing systems to precisely calculate attendance levels at individual tracks is not easy given many are private companies. But such moves would be welcome in terms of credibility.
Frankie Dettori brought a welcome buzz to Killarney last week although from those who were at the July festival it seems not even the Italian maestro could trump the following day's 'Ladies Day' activities for popular appeal. A few days later however proved once again how we're witnessing a superb Indian Summer to one of the game's great careers.
Admittedly all winning rides are good but Dettori was superb on Star Catcher in the Irish Oaks. Giving him a solo from the front has always been dangerous, especially when he's riding with confidence. But there was an assurance to the way Dettori controlled the race that provided almost a sense of inevitability to the outcome.
It was his eighth Group One in 50 days. There are top-quality riding talents who don't ride eight Group One winners in a career. Next up will be no less than Enable in this Saturday's King George at Ascot. News that the Aidan O'Brien is committing the Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck to taking her on makes for a great prospect.
Anthony Van Dyck has something to prove after failing to get to grips with his stable companion Sovereign in the Irish Derby. It will also be interesting to see how he copes in the preliminaries given he got quite hot at the Curragh last month. But on his best behaviour the three year old weight allowance will make him dangerous, even against exceptional talents like Enable and her jockey.
