ON Monday Punchestown Racecourse announced Ballymore has returned as title sponsors of the final day of Ireland’s most prestigious jump racing festival. The Ballymore Festival Family Day will take place on Saturday, May 2nd and concludes not only the Punchestown Festival but the Irish jump racing season itself. The €100,000 Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle will be the centrepiece of a top-quality, seven-race card.

That day has rapidly become one of the best attended fixtures on the Irish racing calendar, attracting a crowd of 37,206 in 2019. As the name suggests, the focus of the day is on community, introducing families to Punchestown and opening the world of horse racing to children. A full programme of activities, games and entertainment will be on offer for families, with a dedicated indoor Junior Jockey Fun Club available.

Ballymore co-founders Sean and Bernardine Mulryan have been long-time supporters of Punchestown. In 2008 when the Saturday was first integrated into the Festival, Ballymore was an integral part of the initiative backing the title race of the day. Following a hiatus from horse racing, the award-winning international property group returned to the sponsorship ranks in 2017, before taking the opportunity to back the family day concept.

The Mulryan’s return to horse racing has been a fortuitous one and their own horse City Island, trained by Martin Brassil, landed the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.

Sean Mulryan is looking forward to Ballymore Festival Family Day. He said: “The Punchestown Festival is a unique sporting experience and Punchestown itself is special for myself and my family. We have been involved there for decades and the opportunity to return to sponsor the family day gives me great pride. I’m delighted to see it go from strength to strength.”

Conor O’Neill, Punchestown CEO, added: “We always say that Punchestown is personal. That goes for the staff, customers, sponsors, locals and members of the racing industry. Everybody who visits Punchestown or does business here should feel like they are part of the place. We are so fortunate that Sean and Bernardine Mulryan share that view and have such special regard for Punchestown.

“They have been incredible supporters down the years, through thick and thin. They are true racing and community people. The Ballymore Festival Family Day gives us the opportunity to introduce this unique event and venue to many families that may be new to the area, but also to strengthen the sense of community for all those locals who have been enjoying Punchestown for years. To the Mulryans and Ballymore we say thank you”.

The 2020 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday, April 28th to Saturday, May 2nd and expects to attract crowds in excess of 125,000. Billed as the highlight of Irish jump racing, the Festival boasts 12 Grade 1 races and a prize fund of over €3.2 million. With 45 event sponsors, over 17,000 corporate hospitality guests and a huge influx of British-based racing fans, Punchestown is a social, sporting and commercial flagship event on the Irish calendar.

Down Royal partnership

Down Royal has secured a new three-year partnership with one of the world’s largest brewers, Molson Coors Beverage Company. The agreement sees Molson Coors become the racecourse’s exclusive draft and pre-packaged beer and cider pouring partner.

This is not the brewer’s first foray into the world of horse racing as Carling has 16 British and Irish racecourse partnerships and is an official partner of The Jockey Club in Britain. The new partnership with Down Royal includes naming rights for meetings on January 28th and July 24th.