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.

The sponsors and hosts of the race have put out a call for 20 lockdown heroes, one of whom will win a four-night luxury staycation, the use of a BMW for a week and have €2,000 spending money in their pocket or purse. The race itself will take place at Naas Racecourse on Sunday, August 23rd.

Who is your lockdown hero? Is it your neighbour who went above and beyond while you were cocooning; your doctor; your community care workers or volunteers; your children’s teacher; your local shopkeeper, postman or postwoman or refuse collector? What about your pharmacist, childminder or a relative or friend who is working as a nurse, doctor, or medical professional on the frontline? What about some furloughed employee who turned their talent to providing meals for frontline workers?

Naas Racecourse want you to nominate your lockdown hero and to do so within the next 10 days. Twenty heroes will be shortlisted and each will be assigned a horse in the €320,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes. The race winner will earn the lockdown hero associated with it the use of a luxury car from Colm Quinn BMW for a week, a four-night luxury break for two adults and two children at the fantastic Heritage Killenard in Co Laois, and for good measure will have €2,000 spending money.

There will also be prizes for the heroes whose horses are placed in the race from the Osprey Hotel, the O’Callaghan Hotel Collection, Weatherbys GSB and the Irish National Stud, while there will be luxury goody bags for the remaining shortlisted heroes.

To nominate your lockdown hero, please go to www.naasracecourse.com and include a brief description of your choice for the award, their heroic actions and any other relevant information. The time is short and you must do so before noon on Wednesday, August 19th. The 20 lockdown heroes will be announced two days later.

Commenting on the initiative, Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud, said: “The Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes is a special race on many levels. It is a big prize fund for owners and trainers to target with their two-year-olds and a unique race to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing work of the lockdown heroes. Everyone knows someone that went that extra mile to help a neighbour or their community during lockdown, so please get nominating so that we can publicly acknowledge their exceptional actions.”

Naas Racecourse manager Eamonn McEvoy said: “We are thrilled to partner with Ballyhane Stud and the Irish EBF on the lockdown hero concept. The race is guaranteed to attract some top-class horses who will be matched with 20 remarkable lockdown heroes for some fantastic prizes.

“Special thanks to the Heritage Hotel and Colm Quinn along with the Osprey Hotel, O’Callaghan Hotel Collection, Weatherbys GSB and the Irish National Stud for supporting this special event. It’s such a lovely gesture to thank all those heroes who made a difference during lockdown and my committee, colleagues and I at Naas Racecourse are very proud to be involved.”