Racing at Bettyville

THE RACING season at the Bettyville course, Wexford, comes to a conclusion next weekend with a two-day fixture on Sunday and Monday, featuring the richest race run at the track, the €27,500

MW Hickey Memorial chase.

This meeting, coinciding with the Wexford Opera Festival bank holiday weekend, is usually the highlight of the racing year, weather permitting.

However, this is a year like no other and the meeting must take place behind closed doors, with no members of the general public allowed to attend.

Credit to Wexford and other courses for keeping racing going under very stringent conditions, which have been rigorously enforced, providing a lifeline for a sport and an industry that is very important to the Wexford and national economy.

There will be four hurdle races, two chases and a bumper each day as follows:

Sunday, October 25: 1 p.m., Hook Head Maiden Hurdle of €10,000; 1.35 p.m., Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Hurdle of €13,000; 2.10 p.m., Carnsore Point Maiden Hurdle of €10,000; 2.45 p.m., St. Patrick’s Bridge Handicap Hurdle of €9,000; 3.20 p.m., Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners’ Steeplechase of €13,000; 3.55 p.m., Slade Handicap Steeplechase of €16,000; 4.30 p.m., Irish Stallions Farm EBF Mares’ (Pro/Am) Flat Race of €10,000.

Bank holiday Monday, October 26: 12.55 p.m., Three Rocks Maiden Hurdle of €10,000; 1.30 p.m., Kehoe Farming Rated Novice Hurdle of €11,000 (sponsored by Kehoe Farming, Ballybrack, Foulksmills); 2.05 p.m., Dan & Mary Arnold Memorial Opportunity Handicap Hurdle of €11,000 (sponsored by IRIS, Bartlemy, Fermoy, Co. Cork); 2.40 p.m., Michael Moore Car Sales Volkswagen Portarlington Maiden Hurdle of €10,000; 3.15 p.m., M.W. Hickey Memorial Steeplechase (Grade 3) of €27,500 (sponsored by the Hickey family); 3.50 p.m., Garry Flood Landscaping Beginners’ Steeplechase of €11,000 (sponsored by Garry Flood Landscaping, Clonroche); 4.25 p.m., Pinnacle (C & G) (Pro/Am) Flat Race of €9,000.