THE COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED. 

5 WEEKS TO GO TO THE ICONIC GALWAY RACES.

MONDAY 31ST JULY TO SUNDAY 6TH AUGUST 2023.

 

PRESS RELEASE, TUESDAY 27TH JUNE

OVER €2 MILLION IN PRIZE MONEY ON OFFER – NEW SPONSORS – NEW PODCAST –

NEW KISS CAM FOR FANS – CASH PRIZE OF €13,000 FOR BEST DRESSED LADY COMPETITION & AND A SUPERB ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME!

THE GALWAY RACES, UNMISSABLE!

The Countdown Has Begun. Over €2.1 Million of Prizemoney on Offer at Ireland’s Largest Horse Racing Festival.
In less than five weeks time, the highly anticipated and much loved seven-day Galway Races Summer Festival returns, kicking off from Monday 31st July to Sunday 6th August. With fifty-three races over the seven days, the Galway Races Summer Festival has a prize fund of over €2.1 million on offer. Each day offers a minimum prize fund of €100,000 for the feature race, with a minimum value for any race at Galway standing at €17,000. Galway offers a mixed card for the week with national hunt and flat races being held on all seven days.

Anthony Ryan, Chairman of the Galway Race Committee said, “We are once again delighted to present the iconic Galway Racing Festival. We eagerly anticipate huge attendances from our loyal fan base, from families and groups of friends and from many first-time race goers. The festival offers top class horse racing, unrivalled prize money, superb hospitality options, lots of live entertainment and fashion to take your breath away. With the support of our Sponsors and Partners, we anticipate this year’s Festival to be the biggest, best and most enjoyable ever. We look forward to welcoming all and sundry to Ballybrit.’’

The hotly contested Tote Galway Plate on Wednesday 2nd August, a race synonymous with Galway and key to the history of the festival, has a prize fund of €270,000 on offer. The Tote Galway Plate is a race awash with quality, with experienced chasers taking on emerging youngsters. The race cards on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th August are sponsored in full by the Galway Races long standing partner, Guinness, with Thursdays Guinness Galway Hurdle worth €270,000!

Partnerships Deals
Demand for race sponsorship has always proved strong for the Galway Races with this Summer seeing some new names added to the sponsors rostrum including Kinlay Hostel, located in the heart of Galway City. Kinlay Hostel have signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Galway Racecourse to sponsor the sixth race on Sunday 6th August, ‘The Kinlay Hostel Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden valued at €24,000’ a two-year-old Maiden race. Commenting on their new two-year agreement, Frank O’Connell General Manager with Kinlay Hostel said, ‘We are delighted to work with and support the Galway Races. This festival is a very significant event for our guests given our location and our group accommodation options. We’re all looking forward to the racing festival and the buzz that it brings to the city of Galway – there really is nothing else like it.’  

Feature races on the supporting cards include The Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap of €110,000, The Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap of €120,000, The BoyleSport Handicap Hurdle valued at €110,000, and The Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund “Ahonoora” Handicap of €110,000. Partnerships have been the backbone and key to the success of the iconic Galway Races.

 

NEW: Pod Cast Series – “Let’s Be Having You Galway”. Two episodes LIVE from today!

A first for a racecourse in Ireland, the Galway Races presents a special six-episode podcast series, relaying stories from inside an outside the parade ring, with host Paul Collins who speaks to racing royalty and life-long racing fans alike. The guest list for the podcast series includes Davy and Edelle Russell, Gordon Elliott, Noel Meade, Jane Mangan, Tom Rudd, John and Michael Moloney, Patrick Mullins and Michael Donoghue. Plus, Galway Races fans including Galway Football Manager Padraic Joyce, Áine Killilea, Stephen Cunningham, Mary Davin, Tom Keane and Eileen Cooley.

Episode 1: Have you ever dreamed of achieving something so big that it seemed impossible? In the first episode of Let’s Be Having You, jockey Davy Russell shares his journey to winning the Grand National and the significance of this achievement in horse racing. He also talks about his passion for horse racing and the challenges he faced, including a serious injury that left him unable to rotate his neck. Despite setbacks, Davy remained focused on his goals and emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself. Join the conversation with Davy and his wife Edelle as they share their experiences in horse racing and family life, including their love for the Galway festival and their children’s involvement in breeding and selling horses.

 

NEW: Clarke’s Cam

Another first at an Irish racecourse, Galway Races launches a fun and engaging initiative, the ‘Clarkes Cam’ for the seven days of the Summer Festival.  With content creator Alan Clarke at the helm for the week looking after our ‘Clarkes -Cam’, this is one you don’t want to miss, and, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Stay tuned!

 

Best Line Up of Live Music Yet, including Country Music Star Derek Ryan.  

This year, the team in Galway present to you its biggest musical line up yet! With over fifty live music performances and entertainers booked for over the seven days of the festival, including the highlight on Galway Plate Day, Derek Ryan and band for the Country Music Day. In addition, you can enjoy bands such as Spring Break, Bongo Steve, Sean Slattery & The Connections, The Galway Tenors, The Gamblers, The Conquerors plus lots more!

 

Brand Ambassador Programme  

Following on from its successful launch last Summer, Galway Races is proud to be working again this year with seven selected ‘Official Brand Ambassadors’, who will be part of a money can’t buy experience at the Galway Races. Commenting on the Brand Ambassador Programme, Michael Moloney Chief Executive of Galway Racecourse said, “the passion and loyalty of our fans is hugely evident, especially in the run up to, and during the Summer Festival. Social Media has allowed fans to become more closely knit and feel more part of our team. Our Brand Ambassador Programme was a huge hit and we’re delighted today to announce our new seven Galway Races Brand Ambassadors:  Daryl Miley, Claire Kelly Badger, Robert Moloney, Tracy McGuinness, Meghann Scully, Ruth McCourt and Paddy Monahan.” Each ambassador receives a seven-day VIP pass to the Summer Festival, official Galway Races merchandise, plus an opportunity to meet up close and personal the stars of Irish racing.

 

Family Entertainment

Since its inception, the Galway Races has always been a multi-generational event, offering something for all ages over the seven days. Sunday is traditionally a family-fun ‘Mad Hatters Day’ kindly supported by Ireland West Airport who sponsor fantastic prizes for both the children’s and adults colourful ‘Mad Hatter’ competition. New enhancements to the day for families include:

  • A family ticket: advance ticket price €32.50. On the day price €40,
  • A new dedicated family friendly entrance,
  • Complimentary Galway Races back-bags for children on entry,
  • Complimentary family portrait area to ‘capture the moment’,
  • Plus, over twenty free activities for children to enjoy on the day. Plenty to keep everyone entertained.

 

Tote to Sponsor the Stable Staff Canteen

Tote, title sponsor of Wednesday’s race card on 2nd August at Galway, will once again extend its association across the week by sponsoring the stable staff canteen on all seven days of the Galway Races Summer Festival.

 

Ticket Sales and Hospitality

The Galway Races contributes over €54 Million to the local economy. Advance ticket sales have proved very strong, pacing ahead of 2022 figures. To celebrate our 2023 festival, Galway Races have a special offer on general admission tickets with €5 off each ticket up to the day of the race meeting, plus a new €70 three-day bundle ticket and a new flexi-ticket offer, all available to buy online via www.galwayraces.com

 

Television Coverage
The first four action packed days of the Galway Races will be broadcast by RTÉ Television, coming live to you from Ballybrit at 5pm for over two and a half hours of commentary and insights, that includes the feature race on each day, including Monday’s Connacht Hotel Q.R. Handicap and Tuesday’s Colm Quinn BMW Mile, plus four supporting races each day.

Galway Racecourse are once again delighted to have the Irish language broadcaster TG4, who will broadcast live on Friday 4th August and Saturday 5th August. The live coverage on TG4 will include sixteen action packed races over the two days and feature races such as The Guinness Handicap, The Galway Blazers Steeplechase, and The BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle on Saturday.

To compliment the above television broadcast, Racing TV will cover and broadcast every one of the fifty-two races live from track.

Ladies Day
Galway Racecourse is delighted to announce a new guest judge, Rachel Gorry, popular social media influencer, for the Galway Races Summer Festival ‘Best Dressed Lady’ and ‘Best Hat’ competitions that take place on Thursday 3rd August, ‘Guinness Galway Hurdle Day’. This promises to be one of the biggest days in the Irish racing calendar, and an unmissable day out for fashion lovers, with a generous cash bonanza of €13,000 on offer sponsored by The Connacht Hospitality Group.

 

Commenting on the upcoming Galway Races, Rachel Gorry said, “I’m delighted to be Guest judge for this year’s Galway Races Summer Festival for the Best Dressed and Best Hat competitions. I have such a love for fashion myself so really looking forward to seeing all the style during the festival and especially on Ladies’ Day”. Judging the Best Dressed Lady competitions on the day is Head Judge and well-known stylist Mandy Maher who will be joined by fellow judge Kieran O’Malley Digital Marketing Manager for the Connacht Hospitality Group. Commenting on this exciting news, Mandy Maher said, “I am super excited to be back this year as Head Judge at the Galway Races.  If the fashion is anything like last year, all I can say is roll on the 3rd of August”.

 

Friday’s Most Stylish

Taking place on Friday, 4th August from 4pm, Friday’s Most Stylish sponsored by Athlone Towncentre is expected to be one of the biggest gatherings of race going fashion lovers to date on the fifth day of the festival. This will mark the eleventh year Athlone Towncentre sponsor this hugely popular fashion event and we can’t wait to hear who will be judging their competition and the superb prize on offer. All details to be released very soon!

 

Decorate to Celebrate- Win Tickets to the Galway Races for your staff.

The Galway Races are inviting businesses across Galway City and County to take part in their ‘Decorate to Celebrate’ competition. Businesses, no matter what size, could be in with a chance of winning an exclusive prize of a VIP Day at the races for your team worth €3,000 plus tickets for the races.

Widely regarded as the highlight of the Summer Season in Ireland, the Galway Races takes place from Monday 31st July to Sunday 6th August, and looks forward to welcoming its many loyal race goers back to Ballybrit for one amazing week that offers you great horse racing, entertainment, fashion, reunions with friends and family and an electric fun atmosphere that continues to draw people from all over the world. To book your ticket to this year’s Galway Races check out www.galwayraces.com See you in Galway!

-ENDS
Note to Editor
Photography sent to your picture desk from Aengus McMahon, 087-2464770. Images taken Tuesday 27th June 2023 in O’Connell’s, Eyre Square, Galway.

For further information or to arrange a media interview please contact
Michael Moloney [Chief Executive]                Sinéad Cassidy [Sales & Marketing Manager]
E: michael@galwayraces.com                        E: sinead@galwayraces.com
Mob: 087 6797706                                              Mob: 087 2888562