Irish Derby to bring huge €100m boost as huge crowds expected for festival

MILLIONS of Asian race fans will tune in to this weekend’s Irish Derby Festival which will be broadcast across the continent.

All eyes are on the Curragh and the Irish Derby which will go out live on Japan’s Green Channel and the Tote World Pool which carries the action across Asia.

Racecourse chief Brian Kavanagh said “We can’t wait for this weekend’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival where from Friday until Sunday some of the fastest horses in the world will be racing.

“We’re expecting a very big crowd this weekend out here in Co Kildare.

“We’ve had a great year so far with a large increase in families and racegoers and this weekend we have a lot of entertainment lined up for children and adults alike with lots of music, bands, food and fashion as well as world class racing which will viewed by millions of people all around the world.”

The venue will welcome over 1,500 hospitality clients from at least 50 companies coming from 12 individual countries – served by 28 chefs and 435 hospitality staff.

The catering demands will be huge and preparation has already started with oysters on the menu for the first time ever.

Some 1.5 tonnes of potatoes and fresh vegetables have already been ordered and it is expected that 8,850 pints of Guinness, beers and lagers will be drank along with 4,400 bottles of beer, 850 bottles of Moet champagne, 1280 bottles of wine, 150 bottles of vodka, and 78 bottles of gin.

It’s not all booze, with 8800 soft drinks, at least 2,500 cups of tea and coffee along with 1,500 desserts, 1,850 burgers and hundreds of picnic baskets set to fly off the shelves over the course of the three day festival.

Star of TV’s Clarkson Farm Lisa Hogan and singing sensation Lyra are judging most stylish competitions this Saturday and Sunday and the famous sporting venue in Co Kildare.

The Curragh Racecourse and Training Grounds brings a massive boost to the local economy with a direct economic impact of almost €100m per year supporting nearly 1,200 jobs in the area.