Ladies Day

€13,000 Cash Bonanza On Offer for our 2024 Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat Competitions, generously sponsored by The Connacht Hospitality Group.

“The secret of great style is to feel good in what you wear”, Inés de la Fressange

Widely renowned as ‘Ladies Day’ at the Galway Races Summer Festival, Thursday combines the very best in horse racing and stunning fashion.  The first of eight national hunt races takes place at 2.10pm. Thursday features the much sought after Galway Hurdle Handicap race with an impressive prize fund of €270,000 on offer. One of the biggest days in the Irish Racing calendar, this event is also an unmissable day out for fashion lovers.

Regarded as Ireland’s largest horse racing festival, the iconic Galway Races  boasts superb horse racing, hospitality, entertainment with Live Bands and DJ’s daily, stunning fashion and an electric atmosphere that continues to draw people from Ireland and abroad to experience the sheer magic and infectious fun atmosphere that we are famous for!

Music Line Up – TBC for 2025

This year Galway Races present to you its biggest music line up yet! Over the seven days of the Galway Races Summer Festival we have over fifty live music performances and entertainers booked.

***Ladies Day 2025 – Details to be announced in 2025 ***

HOW TO GET SELECTED?

• The Galway Races has a long held tradition of selecting ladies here on site. Our judges pick you from the crowd and hand you the hotly sought after ‘finalist badge’;
• Ladies can now pre-register for Ladies Day via our website from 6pm the evening before (Wednesday) until 11am Thursday (the day of the event), by uploading a photograph of them in their outfit and their details. They must be here on the day to get selected. The judges receive your entry & should you be selected as a finalist, a member of the judging team will phone you. 
• We have also lengthened the time you have to enter the competition, moving the completion time for judging from 1pm to 3pm to give people a chance to make their way to the course and relax and enjoy themselves. We look forward to seeing you all. 

The racecourse offers a wide variety of hospitality experiences. From panoramic views over looking the race track, to more casual fun group packages, we can offer you a variety of experiences, be it with friends or colleagues. Our all-inclusive ‘Festival Package’ at €40 per person is ideal and very popular for large groups [minimum booking of 10 people applies for group packages]. We look forward to welcoming you and your friends. See you in Ballybrit!

NEW: The Parade Ring Lounge

It’s All About The Location! Prices start from just €25 per person.

Located in a prime position beside the Weight Room. The Parade Ring Lounge offers our race goers an elevated racing experience in a great location beside the parade ring, in which you can enjoy the electric and fun atmosphere that the Galway Races is famous for. Book early to secure your badge for the new Parade Ring Lounge.  Space is limited. Pre-booking strongly advised. Check it out today and book online  Click here.

The Parade Ring Lounge will open as gates open, 2 ½ hours before the first race. Marquee will close one hour after the last race.

What’s included:

• • Parade Ring Lounge Access Badge
  • Viewing area from the Marquee of the Parade Ring
  • Special guest racing tipster to kick off the day’s racing
  • Access to private Tote betting facilities
  • Full cash bar facilities
  • Unreserved informal seating

We look forward to seeing you. Giddy up, we’re off to Galway!

Stay Connected.

Stay in touch with all that’s happening at the Galway Races by tuning into our social media channels via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The team in Galway have lots of fun and entertainment planned to keep their fans engaged in the build up to and during the races. Follow us for all the latest updates LIVE as they happen on our social media channels using the hashtags #GalwayRaces

 GALWAY RACES ANNOUNCE THE ADDITION OF A NEW JUDGE, CELEBRITY AWARD WINNING MAKE-UP ARTIST & SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER ‘MICHELLE REGAZZOLI STONE’ FOR THE SUMMER FESTIVAL ‘BEST DRESSED LADY’ COMPETITION WITH €13,000 CASH ON OFFER, GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY THE CONNACHT HOSPITALITY GROUP.

With less than eight weeks to go to Ireland’s leading horse racing festival, Galway Racecourse is delighted to announce a new guest judge, Michelle Regazzoli Stone, award winning make-up artist, social media influencer and ‘Mrs Glam’ brand co-creator, for the Galway Races Summer Festival ‘Best Dressed Lady’ and ‘Best Hat’ competitions that take place on Thursday 1^st August, ‘Guinness Galway Hurdle Day’ during the seven-day Summer Festival. 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, new judge Michelle Regazzoli Stone said, “I am thrilled and completely honoured to be Guest Judge at this year’s Galway Races Ladies Day. As an avid race meeting attendee and lover of style and all things glam, I’m looking forward to playing my part throughout “Ladies Day”. I hope to see plenty of stylish looks on both ladies and gents throughout the Galway Races Summer Festival Week. Thank you for having me as part of such an exciting event”.

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, “The countdown is on and I’m over the moon to be the head judge at Ladies Day for my third year in a row. It’s such a prestigious event and an absolute honour to be part of it, let alone be on the judging panel. I’m so looking forward to the style, glamour, and incredible day that’s ahead. Roll on August!”

For the third year running, The Connacht Hospitality Group will sponsor both the Best Dressed Lady competition with a €10,000 cash prize, and €3,000 to the winner of the Best Hat. Based in Galway City, The Connacht Hospitality Group is a family run Galway business that comprises of three hotels (The Connacht Hotel, Hyde Hotel and The Residence Hotel), three bars (Hyde Bar, An Púcán and M. Fitzgerald’s Bar), Galway Bay Golf Resort and Active 24 Fitness.  The group prides themselves on quality hospitality, friendly customer service and creating unique experiences.

Commenting on the new sponsorship deal, Chief Executive of Galway Racecourse Michael Moloney said, “we are delighted to welcome Michelle Regazzoli Stone as a guest judge for this year’s Best Dressed Lady competition. Michelle is a hugely successful and well-respected social media influencer known for engaging content focused on family, running her brand ‘Mrs Glam’, fashion, motherhood and a passionate advocate for childhood cancer. It’s great to have her as part of our team for the Summer Festival. Ladies Day is our most stylish day of the festival and always draws in a huge crowd. In the last two years we introduced some welcomed changes to the day itself, including lengthening the time you have to enter the competition, moving the completion time for judging from 1pm to 3pm to give people a chance to make their way to the course and relax and enjoy themselves, while also introducing a pre-registration for ladies who might not get spotted on the day but still want to enter the competition. They can now enter on the morning of Ladies Day online via our website, upload their outfit details and a photograph. Lots of welcomed improvements that went down well with our customers. We’re delighted to have the team from The Connacht Hospitality Group on-board for their third year running. They’re innovative, focused on the customer experience and have their finger on the pulse. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner for this event. We’re thrilled. See you all in July!”

Commenting on their sponsorship, Eveanna Ryan, Group Marketing and Innovation Manager for The Connacht Hospitality Group said, “We are thrilled to continue our sponsorship of the prestigious Galway Races Ladies Day. This year, we are especially delighted to welcome the fabulous Michelle Regazzoli Stone as our new guest judge. Her expertise and passion for fashion and beauty will undoubtedly elevate the event to new heights, creating an unforgettable experience for all attendees. We are excited to be part of this iconic event and look forward to celebrating style, elegance, and glamour with all racegoers.”

Widely regarded as the highlight of the Summer Season in Ireland, the Galway Races looks forward to welcoming its race goers back to Ballybrit for one amazing week that offers its guests 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 The Galway Races is calling you. See you there!