THE Association of Irish Racecourses (AIR) is delighted to see yet another summer racing highlight, the July Festival at Killarney Racecourse, preparing to welcome small crowds back next week.

From Monday 12th to Friday 16th of this month inclusive, Killarney Racecourse will stage its first spectator meeting since 2019. The easing of restrictions announced by An Taoiseach Michéal Martin last week has enabled Killarney Races to cater for 500 patrons each day.

The board, the management and all the team at Killarney Races are delighted to finally welcome patrons back to the racecourse to enjoy the races.

Noteworthy races with ample prize funds set to attract high-calibre fields include the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes of €47,500, a listed race which will take place on Wednesday. Always an interesting event, the Dawn Milk Run Handicap Hurdle of €21,000 will run on Thursday, and the jumps feature of the week is the BoyleSports Handicap Chase worth €40,000.

Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th are all flat cards with start times of 4.45pm, 4.20pm and 4.25pm respectively. Thursday 15th and Friday 16th are National Hunt meetings which go to post at 1.40pm each day.

Gerard Coughlan, chairman of Killarney Races, commented: “We are truly delighted to welcome people back to our scenic racecourse, albeit with a limited capacity. Killarney Races is an integral part of our town and community. I would sincerely like to thank all our sponsors who stood by us through this difficult period, and we’re looking forward to working together as racing and all sports open up in the future.”

Pre-booking is the only option available to secure your tickets for this upcoming race meeting and due to the high demand and limited capacity, racegoers are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets can be purchased at www.killarneyraces.ie

Pilgrimage

Many of us in racing make the pilgrimage to Killarney for the races and to enjoy the buzz and the atmosphere of the popular tourist town. With staycation plans ongoing, why not consider booking a trip to Killarney and their upcoming races this week, or indeed plan ahead for their five-day festival in August or weekend fixture in October?

As we all await further guideline updates, the tickets available online have been capped for this fixture to meet current restrictions, but with a bit of luck, and as these restrictions ease, more tickets will be available.

Killarney Races is building a mailing list and will be working with their sponsors and hospitality providers over the coming months to bring you the very best deals and discounts available in the Kingdom. So, if you’re looking for a winner this weekend, my advice would be to visit the website and sign up today!

Sign up

Please note that Killarney Races will race again in August from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st inclusive and on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of October. Tickets for all race meetings held at Killarney Racecourse are now available online. For all racing news and updates follow Killarney Races on social media or visit the website and sign up to their newsletter.

The Association of Irish Racecourses represents all 26 racecourses on the island of Ireland and welcomes yet another wonderful milestone this week as members wait with bated breath for further announcements on what will happen for our sport after July 19th.