Glamour and racing to combine

THE FINAL meeting of the summer takes place at Bettyville on Friday evening, and if the weather is reasonable it should be not only a sporting but also a glamorous occasion as it will feature the Best Dressed Lady competition sponsored by Monart Destination Spa.

The result will be announced before the last race and the winning lady will be presented with a two-night stay for two people at the world famous Monart Spa, part of the Griffin family hotels empire, including some pampering treatments.

For those more interested in the racing, the all-National Hunt card features three hurdles, three chases and the usual bumper, and they will be competing for €77,000 in prize money.

The card begins at 5.55 p.m. with the www. wexfordraces.ie Maiden Hurdle of €10,000 over two miles, followed by the Tintern Abbey Handicap Hurdle of €10,000 over two miles four furlongs. At 6.55 p.m. we have the Monart Destination Spa Ladies’ Evening Handicap Hurdle of €9,000 over three miles.

The first of the chases is next, the Ferrybank Opel Beginners’ race of €11,000 over two miles four furlongs, sponsored by Ferrybank Motors. Feature race of the evening is the €14,500 Martinstown Opportunity Handicap over two miles four furlongs, off at 7.55 p.m.

Opel also sponsor the second last race on the card, the Opel 162 Handicap Chase of €12,500 over almost three miles two furlongs, and the racing concludes at 9 p.m. with the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders’ Fund Mares’ Flat Race, worth €10,000.

The weather has been indifferent, to say the least, at the Wexford venue this season so far and here’s hoping it will be kind on this occasion, the last racing at Bettyville until the Wexford Festival meeting on the October Bank holiday weekend, Sunday and Monday, 30th and 31st.