There was excitement in the air this morning at the G Hotel where the highly anticipated Galway Races 2010 Summer Festival Meeting was launched. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Tim Naughton, Chairman of the Galway Race Committee was delighted to announce a number of new sponsors for this year’s Summer Festival Meeting.
This year’s Galway Plate Day will now be sponsored by Tote Ireland with the feature race thetote.com Galway Plate valued at €200,000, one of Ireland’s most historic races.
Topaz, Ireland’s leading fuel and convenience retailer will sponsor the feature race on Tuesday July 27th, The Topaz Mile EBF Handicap valued at €120,000 which is the richest Handicap to be staged in Ireland this year. Topaz will also sponsor two additional races, the Topaz Maiden Hurdle and the Topaz Handicap.
According to Topaz CEO Mr. Eddie O’Brien, Topaz is proud to be supporting such a unique Irish festival. “The Galway Races, and especially the Summer Festival, are such popular events for punters across the country that it’s difficult not to get caught up in the excitement of it all. We enjoy supporting local initiatives and this is a great opportunity to get involved in this national, yet local, event. The Topaz Mile is going to attract a lot of attention with such a large purse, and we look forward to congratulating the inaugural winner on Tuesday evening. “
Caulfield Industrial a well known West of Ireland business will also sponsor three races on Tuesday July 27th, the Caulfieldindustrial.com E.B.F Fillies Maiden, the Caulfield Industrial Athlone Handicap and the Caulfieldindustrial.com E.B.F Maiden.
The festival continues to host Ireland’s richest Hurdle race, the Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap which takes place on Thursday July 29th also known as Ladies Day. The feature race on Friday evening the Guinness Handicap is once again generously sponsored by Guinness.
As Galway has been voted the Singles Capital of Ireland, www.anotherfriend.com will host the largest singles party ever to be held at an Irish Racecourse. This event will take place in the Killanin Stand on Friday July 30th from 5pm to 10pm, so if you’re looking for an evening of fun, great racing and perhaps the chance to meet that someone special, the Galway Races is the place to be.
Details of the ever increasingly popular Ladies day on Thursday July 29th of the festival were also released today. Anthony Ryans Ltd has continued its commitment to Ladies Day and will once again sponsor the highly coveted Best Dressed Lady Prize and Best Hat Prize, with the Best Dressed Lady set to scoop a prize worth over €12,000.
This year’s Best Dressed Lady will walk away with a Diamond Solitaire Pendant valued at €8,500, a shopping spree worth €1,500 in Anthony Ryans, Galway and €1,000 cash. She will also receive a corporate hospitality package for Galway Races October Bank Holiday Racing Festival to include dinner and champagne reception and a Lancôme Presentation Gift Hamper worth over €500.
The prize for the winner of the “Best Hat” is a €1500 shopping spree at Anthony Ryan’s Galway. All finalists at the Anthony Ryan’s Best Dressed marquee will be presented with a special collection of Lancôme cosmetics compliments of University Pharmacy, Galway.
Judging this year’s competition are three of the best known names in the Irish fashion industry – Bairbre Power, Fashion Editor of the Irish Independent and Executive Editor of the Irish Independent Weekend magazine, model and Xposé presenter Glenda Gilson and PJ Gibbons, Editor, Social and Personal Magazine.
They will be joined by well known faces from the Galway fashion scene Patricia McCrossan, Managing Director, Galway NOW, Mandy Maher, Catwalk Model Agency and Fiona Durkin, Fashion Consultant with Anthony Ryan Ltd.
Ladies Day at the Galway Races Festival looks set to maintain its reputation as the most stylish and glamorous fashion event on the Irish racing calendar.
Monday evening July 26th will be “Opening Night with the Sport Stars”, with interviews from a host of both local and national sport stars. The event will be hosted by Irelands Best Dressed Man, the ever popular Mr. Daithí O’Sé.
In conjunction with opening evening celebrations there will be a “Most Appropriately Dressed Lady Competition”. The lucky winner on the night will walk away with a stunning hat designed for the competition by Suzie Mahony and will be judged by Suzie and well-known style guru Mandy Maher of the Cat Walk Model Agency. Suzie Mahony’s designs have been the crowning glory of many race meetings worldwide.
Monday will continue to be branded “Galway’s Best Hotels Race Day” and is generously sponsored by six well known Galway hoteliers – Claregalway Hotel, G Hotel, Carlton Hotel (Feature Race), Hotel Meyrick, Jury’s Inn, Radisson Blu Hotel and Galway Bay Hotel.
Racing continues on Saturday July 31st and Sunday August 1st with the feature race on Saturday sponsored by Kerry Group and on Sunday the feature race sponsored by the Connacht Tribune.
Once again Sunday is Family Day and Mad Hatters Day with children under 14 admitted free of charge. All racegoers are invited to wear their most stylish, creative and outrageous hats to win some great prizes. For a day full of fun, colour and excitement bring the whole family to the finale of the Galway Races Summer Festival Meeting.
Tote Jackpots guarantees for the week are Monday to Friday €50,000 per day and Saturday and Sunday €25,000 per day. To celebrate their sponsorship, anyone who plays the Tote Jackpot can win a Diamond necklace worth €15,000 from Cara Diamonds, Galway.
Due to the opening of the superb M6 motorway, Galway Gardai - Traffic Core Division in conjunction with Galway Race Committee is in the process of designing a new traffic plan for this year’s races. Details of this plan will be announced in the coming weeks by Inspector Derek Gannon.
The Galway Races Summer Festival will run from Monday 26th of July to Sunday August 1st.
For more information on the Galway Races Summer Festival and to avail of Special offers and Group Discounts please call 091-753870, email information@galwayraces.com or visit our website www.galwayraces.com .
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