EVERYONE’S A WINNER
From committed punters to dedicated fashionistas, the Galway Festival has something for all
WHENit comes to facilities for racegoers and new initiatives, Galway have always been pioneers. And the same is true this year.
For a start, getting to Ballybrit has been made much easier. Punters can now book their tickets for any day of the festival on the racecourse’s new-look wesbite www.galwayraces.com and have their admission tickets in their inbox within minutes.
In addition, the new Festival Village, located beside the Killanin Stand, will offer racegoers a new destination where they will be able to enjoy craft beer, a shopping village, a big screen to watch the action, betting facilities and live music all week with resident DJs and local bands.
Not to forget, of course, the principal reason we all go in the first place – the horses! You are guaranteed a feast of top-class action every day as the country’s top trainers and jockeys go in search of Ballybrit glory.
As is tradition, the sevenday extravaganza kicks off on Monday evening (July 31) where the theme is ‘Gather Your Tribes’ in the home of the City of the Tribes. There will be a lively performance from the Galway Tenors on an evening in which the first race is off at 5.20pm and the feature is the €100,000 Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders Handicap.
The action on Tuesday starts at 5.20pm on a card which has the €120,000 Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap as its showpiece event. Together with sponsors Paddy Power the track will stage its first-ever ‘Zorb Derby’ in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund, with four personalities taking part in a race in their zorbs in front of the stands.
Highlight of Wednesday’s afternoon card, due to get underway at 3.15, is the Tote.com Galway Plate now worth a staggering €250,000. Racegoers will also get to soak up the sounds of the best of traditional Irish music. Voted on RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show as the ‘Traddest Family in Ireland’, punters will be treated to a lively performance by the tenpiece band The Doohans from Co Clare.
With a strong association at the festival for many years, Guinness are once again title sponsors on Thursday and Friday with the famous Guinness Galway Hurdle, worth an impressive €300,000, a race that draws huge attention on the day traditionally referred to as Ladies Day.
The Tote.com Galway Plate and the Guinness Galway Hurdle will undoubtedly be the most hotly-contested handicaps of the summer, attracting the top National Hunt horses around.
Taking place on Thursday, the g Hotel & Spa Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat competitions, are among the most stylish events in the Irish social calendar and the lure of prizes worth €12,000 draws the fashion elite from all over Ireland.
Ladies who adore their fashion have another excuse to get dressed up, with the popular Athlone Towncentre Friday’s Fair Lady competition. The Friday evening is a popular fixture as we head into a bank holiday weekend and a race day that continues to grow in popularity among racegoers. Athlone Towncentre are providing a fantastic shopping prize and a two-night break away to the lucky winner. Friday’s equine feature is the €100,000 Guinness Handicap.
Saturday’s big race has a new sponsor, with Galway Shopping Centre now supporting the handicap hurdle worth €100,000. Both Saturday and Sunday will feature family entertainment, with Sunday also hosting the fun and colourful Mad Hatters Competition, very popular with our racegoers and young children, and generously sponsored by Ireland West Airport Knock.