RACEHORSE owner Michael Owen and trainers Johnny Murtagh and Noel George will be among the panellists speaking at the ITBA Expo ’27 at Goffs on January 8th and 9th.
Thousands are expected to attend the two-day event, which is free of charge and combines a thoroughbred industry trade show with a series of discussions on very relevant and important topics.
Former international footballer Michael Owen is a regular buyer at Irish bloodstock sales and, with Hugo Palmer, has built a succesful training operation at his Manor House Stables in Cheshire. At Expo ‘27, Owen will appear alongside Murtagh on a panel discussing ‘The Sport of Racing’.
They will be joined by Sam Hoskins, head of the Kennet Valley Syndicate which raced prolific winner Night In Vegas this year, plus a leading racehorse owner yet to be revealed.
Peter O’Reilly, chief executive of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, said: “We’ve been pulling the event together over the past few months and it is going well.
“The most recent Expo was in 2018 and it attracted over 3,000 people so we are hoping for a strong showing again. Many thanks to our neighbours Goffs for the use of their facilities. The main stage will be in the sales ring and the topics under discussion by a number of top class panels, will be of interest to everyone who follows racing and breeding, flat or jumps. For example these range from ‘Working Forward : Thoroughbred Industry Employment in the Coming Decades’ to ‘ The Breeder’s Edge - what successful flat breeders are doing differently’ so there will be something for everyone whether they are involved in the industry already, only have a passing interest in it or are simply thinking of dipping their toe in. There will be a second stage in a large marquee which will host talks on hands-on topics such as equine nutrition, equine health , business and personal finance, land management and environmental sustainability.
All the stands in the Goffs Pavillion are sold-out but there is still availability in the marquee. O’Reilly reported: “The marquee holds 70 stands and we have just over half of these sold. They are priced at €1,500 plus VAT. We also have a small number of outdoor sites suitable for things like machinery or demonstrations. For example, our good neighbours The Buggy Man have taken one as have the Calnan Group who are leading specialists in prefabricated and modular buildings.”
Other confirmed stand holders include Coolmore, Yeomanstown, Kildangan, Irish National Stud and Rathbarry.
Among the industry bodies booked in are Weatherbys, ITM, Irish EBF, Irish Equine Centre, Kildare Local Enterprise Centre, and AIRO.
Conolly’s Red Mills will have a major presence. Other nutrition companies taking part so far are Bluegrass, TRM, ArkEquine and Plusvital.
PC Racewear and CW Clothing are on board, along with financial/insurance companies AIB, NFP and Howden.
CAFRE, Keadeen Hotel and C6 EVO Foaling Alarm are others who have booked their spots.
Email: office@itba.ie
Web: itbaexpo.ie CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR STAND AT ITBA EXPO 27