Trainer Ted Walsh says racing at Galway next week won’t have the same feel and will purely be an “industry day”.
Horse Racing, like every other sport around the world, has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic but the equine industry is getting closer to having partial crowds back in the venues.
Over in England, next week’s Glorious Goodwood meeting has been chosen for a pilot scheme re-introducing crowds to racecourses, with 5,000 racecourse members and guests allowed into the venue.
Reports are suggesting crowds could be allowed into Irish racing for the Listowel meeting from September 20-26 and this will come as great news to racegoers, who have been desperate to watch some action at the track.
Unfortunately, Galway’s seven-day summer meeting, which begins on Monday, will be held behind closed doors and Walsh, one of the legendary trainers, doesn’t feel it will be anywhere near the same as previous years.
“Galway will be different this year. Galway is a holiday meeting and racing without the public, particularly on big days, is a non-runner really. Galway is always about the colour and the atmosphere, the usual razzamatazz and that’ll all be gone,” he was quoted as saying by the Herald.
“There’s nothing to go racing for, no-one to talk to. I went to Bellewstown and I couldn’t wait to leave. It was the most inhospitable place I was in for a long time and these are purely industry days like you see in the depths of the winter.
“You want to go and have your tenner on a horse and go up to the stand and hear an aul’ roar. Galway is a different atmosphere of a place and it’s unique but it’ll be totally different this year.”
