GAIN Equine Nutrition is once again sponsoring its popular series of mares’ races this season with the first of 20 legs due to take place at the Tipperary Foxhounds’ meeting in Lisronagh next Saturday, October 28th, while the final will be staged at Ballynoe on Saturday, March 17th, St Patrick’s Day.

The series, which has been running for almost three decades, was launched recently at the Kiltealy yard of the 2016/17 champion handler Colin Bowe, who has already sent out two winners this term. The Co Wexford trainer has made a total of 14 entries for seven horses this weekend including one for the mare In Arrears.

At the launch, Joanne Hurley, Irish Country Manager for Gain Equine Nutrition, commented: “Many of our valued customers raise and race horses for the point-to-point market and we are proud to support this valuable sector of the industry through the Gain Mares Series.

REAL BOOST

“We hope this series will give the owners of mares a real boost and encourage more people to buy and race mares in the future. This partnership demonstrates our commitment and support to the grassroots sector of the industry; we wish all connections the best of luck in the season ahead.”

Gain, along with the Ballynoe Point-to-Point Committee, will provide a €3,000 bonus for the winner of the final along with a half-tonne of Gain Equine Nutrition feed for both second and third placed mares in the race.

The 2017 final saw the Declan Queally-trained My Old Gold claim the title along with the valuable bonus.