Ireland's first all weather racetrack

brockguy · #1 08-26-2007, 12:37 AM

is on today in Dundalk. So far after the initial trial day, it was given two thumbs up by pretty much everyone. One comment I liked was trainer Ger Lyons saying that the tractor driver had the most important job in relation to the track. Some nice horses are entered today and the track is seen as crucial to extend the flat season in Ireland..

_ed_ · #2 08-26-2007, 12:52 AM

Is it Polytrack?

brockguy · #3 08-26-2007, 01:06 AM

Yep, I think its supposed to be like Keeneland's track, but with some modifications..

NoChanceToDance · #4 08-26-2007, 04:06 AM

And i bet they don't have any problems with the track unlike in America.......

When are those tracks out there going to understand that the problems are their fault and not anything to do with the actual surface?

I'm as sure as the day 24hrs long that Dundalk will have no problems and will be a hug success.

NoChanceToDance · #5 08-26-2007, 06:11 PM

What a surprise........ everyone loved the Poly here as well............

From AtTheRaces:

Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien may have been out of luck with his only two runners but he was nevertheless as impressed as everyone else with what he had seen at the newly opened Dundalk racecourse.

The Ballydoyle handler told At The Races: "It's an absolute credit to everybody, I think it will serve Irish racing well for a long time and I'll look forward to coming here. The track is unbelievable. It's a big, galloping track and the surface is very consistent. The facilities are great too.

"It's a place we will use to prepare horses for America. It's a surface that will bring the whole world together and we are going to get a lot of consistency, which is going to be great."

Johnny Murtagh was also full of praise and added: "We have the best horses in the world, the best trainers and some great jockeys. This is just going to add to it - in a couple of years we will be thinking how did we do without it. There's a real good feel to the place.

"Irish racing is, in my mind - and I've been all over the world - right up at the top. We have to keep going and keep improving, not rest on our laurels. We have to let everyone know we are the best."

_ed_ · #6 08-26-2007, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

The Ballydoyle handler told At The Races: "It's an absolute credit to everybody, I think it will serve Irish racing well for a long time and I'll look forward to coming here. The track is unbelievable. It's a big, galloping track and the surface is very consistent. The facilities are great too.

"It's a place we will use to prepare horses for America. It's a surface that will bring the whole world together and we are going to get a lot of consistency, which is going to be great."

That's great to hear.

Makes what's going on in the US even harder to understand.

NoChanceToDance · #7 08-27-2007, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _ed_

That's great to hear.

Makes what's going on in the US even harder to understand.

Not for me. It makes it easier to understand in my opinion, the tracks just don't know how to prepare it.

No one can blame the surface after the success we have had in Europe.