WHILE racing has been taking place behind closed, and racecourses are suffering the financial hit from so doing, the ingenuity of many of the venue’s management teams shows no sign of slowing down. It’s a challenge to engage the general public at times when they are not allowed to attend the races.

That is not the case with Naas racecourse, nor with Joe Foley who owns Ballyhane Stud and is the brains and the force, along with the Irish European Breeders’ Fund, behind the upcoming Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, set to be by some way the richest prize on offer for juveniles in Ireland in 2020.