Guinness renew Galway sponsorship

Galway Race Committee yesterday announced that Guinness has renewed its festival sponsorship for a further five years to the value of €1million.

This will include the featured Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle, the richest hurdle race to be run in Ireland, which takes place on Ladies’ Day, Thursday, July 31, and the Guinness Handicap on Friday, August 1.

Guinness has been sponsoring races at Galway for nearly 50 years, with the relationship between both parties going way back to 1965.

Galway manager, John Moloney, said: “They have been with us long before I started here and it’s magnificent that we can continue this long and fruitful relationship together.”

Galway Racecourse will also host the richest flat handicap in Ireland on Tuesday, July 29, The Topaz Mile. The Tote Galway Plate takes centre stage on Wednesday, July 30.

The Galway races were officially launched yesterday at Gordon Elliott’s Longwood stables in Co. Meath, where the trainer paraded horses that he plans to run at the meeting.

They included Galway Hurdle hope Bayan and intended runners for the Plate, Plan A, Raajih and Cause Of Causes.

Elliott commented: “I love running my horses at the Galway festival, because the ground is always fantastic and the prize money wonderful.”