Summer’s first racing festival promises fun, fashion and excitement at Killarney

KILLARNEY races are promising fashion, fun, and most ambitiously of all, sunshine, during the three-day meeting that begins on Sunday.

Even though the promise of sun might fail to materialise at the course, the public can win a hot holiday for two to Majorca just by attending the racing festival.

There is also a luxurious weekend break at the newly-renovated Great Southern Hotel in Galway up for grabs.

Back on the track, a large field including some of the country's best horses promises to keep race-goers on the edge of their seats.

The opening day of the first summer racing festival features the €55,000 Murphy's Irish Stout Handicap Hurdle.

A mixed card of flat, hurdle and steeplechase races has been organised, and thousands will flock to the Kerry course for some summer racing.

Meanwhile, fashion lovers are already under starter's orders for the Blossom Hill Catwalks / Killarney Races Hats competition on Sunday.

The winner gets tickets for two to the Blossom Hill Catwalks evening on Tuesday May 20, at the Killarney Great Southern Hotel.

The meeting attracts some of the biggest names in politics, entertainment and sport, and this year even more stars will have a flutter.

In the past, the meeting has been attended by the Cranberries, Eamon Dunphy, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, John O'Donoghue.

The Killarney Race Company has a traffic plan to ease congestion at the course, and punters are asked to arrive early.

The race meeting begins on Sunday May 11 at 2.15pm, and continues on Monday at 5.30pm and Tuesday at 2.30pm.