HARD to believe that the turf flat season starts at the Curragh on Sunday week, just two days after the Cheltenham Gold Cup!

Entries for the €100,000 Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire are already out and notable names among the 32 horses engaged include prolific Curragh winner Big Gossey, last year’s winner Orandi, Aidan O’Brien’s Mississippi River and Wise Cracker, trained in Britain by Richard Hughes.

The race sponsor and the Curragh are promoting mental health on the day, in conjunction with the Mental Health Matters charity. They are using the occasion to launch their annual Mental Health Matters poster campaign, inviting submissions from the public to help promote this year’s themes.

To mark the alliance, Nua Healthcare has donated €2,500 to Irish Injured Jockeys. This contribution will be specifically allocated towards enhancing mental health awareness and supports for Irish jockeys.

Noel Dunne, CEO of Nua Healthcare, said: “We are proud to make this contribution, which will be specifically earmarked to enhance mental health supports for jockeys.”

Web: mentalhealthmatters.ie