Tote to sponsor Galway Plate day

GALWAY Race Committee yesterday announced a host of new sponsors, at the launch of the Summer Festival Meeting 2010.

This year’s Galway Plate day will be sponsored by Tote Ireland, with the feature race, thetote.com Galway Plate, valued at €200,000.

Topaz, Ireland’s leading fuel and convenience retailer, will sponsor the feature race on Tuesday July 27, 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.

Caulfield Industrial, a well-known West of Ireland business, will also sponsor three races on the Tuesday, 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 Ladies Day Thursday July 29.

The feature race on Friday evening, the Guinness Handicap, is once again obviously 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 the Friday, from 5pm to 10pm.

Anthony Ryan’s Ltd has continued its commitment to Ladies Day and will once again sponsor the Best Dressed Lady Prize and Best Hat Prize, with the Best Dressed Lady set to scoop 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 Ryan’s, 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.

Monday of the Festival 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 31 and Sunday August 1, with the feature race on Saturday sponsored by Kerry Group and on Sunday the feature race will be sponsored by the Connacht Tribune. Sunday is Family Day and Mad Hatters Day with children under 14 admitted free of charge