The Mr Vegas Snooker 900 will head to Eire in March, with the long-lasting venue of Goffs staging the World Seniors Tour occasion.
Final month, the inaugural Mr Vegas 900 was held at Epsom Racecourse with Stephen Hendry beating Jimmy White within the ultimate to assert his maiden seniors title.
The pair will once more be competing for the highest prize because the format heads to the Emerald Isle on March 2nd.
Hendry and White can be joined by former world champions Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty, Dubliner Fergal O’Brien, and Maltese legend Tony Drago.
Goffs in County Kildare famously hosted the Irish Masters – a prestigious non-ranking event on the primary snooker tour – between 1978 and 2000.
Older gamers from that interval usually cite the venue, which is extra generally used as an public sale home for bloodstock, as among the many greatest in snooker’s historical past.
Its imposing round enclosure makes it an ideal setup for a single desk scenario.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, who infamously gained the Irish Masters in 1998 solely to be disqualified after failing a medicine take a look at for hashish, has named it his favorite venue up to now.
“I feel I’d must say Goffs in Eire. Goffs for me is the best venue,” the Rocket mentioned on Colin Murray’s 52 podcast in 2020.
“What it’s mainly for, it’s the place all of the horses are bought. All the highest horses, the place they purchase all of the Crimson Rums or no matter they’re.”
“It’s an enormous secure like a circle, they usually determined to place a snooker event on there.
“Truthfully, ask any snooker participant who’s performed there or simply been there and watched any of the matches.
“They’ll all let you know, bar none, that it’s the best snooker venue you’d ever get to play in.
“It’s the one time the place I’ve performed, once you hear individuals say, ‘the hairs on the again of your neck get up.’ That was the one time it did.
“I had numerous good matches there, taking part in your Davis’, your Hendrys, your Jimmy Whites and all that kind of stuff.
“However the match that stands out for me is taking part in Ken Doherty within the ultimate – he might need been world champion on the time.
“We performed within the ultimate. You come by a tunnel with the gang all up there.
“Ken clearly obtained a implausible reception as a result of he was from Dublin and clearly had all the house help. I obtained a good shout as properly.
“I used to be so nervous, it was like a rush. Getting on the market and taking part in in that environment was implausible.
“You felt such as you have been a boxer – like Rocky going out and combating. You don’t actually really feel like that once you’re taking part in snooker as a result of it’s much more sedate.
“However the environment on this specific night, the roar of the gang – it was gladiatorial.”
Steve Davis triumphed within the Irish Masters a document eight instances and subsequently gained the Irish Seniors Masters at Goffs on what was his final aggressive look within the recreation in 2018.
The Irish Seniors was held once more on the venue in 2019 when White emerged with the trophy.
The 2024 Mr Vegas 900 will mark the primary time in 5 years that the World Seniors Snooker Tour has staged certainly one of its occasions at Goffs.
The event is performed below an thrilling new format that sees every match performed over 900 seconds or quarter-hour.
Like the primary version at Epsom Racecourse, this occasion is ready to be broadcast dwell by Channel 5 for UK and Irish viewers.
All-day ticket passes value €50 and may be bought at ticketmaster.ie from Monday, January twenty second.
Featured photograph credit score: Monique Limbos