AROUND £2,000 was raised for Irish Injured Jockeys at the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing at Down Royal. On Friday, main organiser Hilary Gibson enlisted the help of Downpatrick’s Alison Connolly to sell cards, calendars, etc in the relative warmth of a marquee. Hilary and Alison were joined on the second day by Jill Connaughton and Pamela McIlwaine and, while their overall ‘take’ was down slightly on last year, their fund-raising efforts are much appreciated. Hilary plans attending the North Down point-to-point at Kirkistown next Saturday, so you have another opportunity to contribute then.

The new public received the thumbs-up from racegoers. So too did the food on offer with more than one professional chips and burger expert (aka point-to-point followers) saying that the new Silks@downroyal gourmet shorthorn burgers were the best they ever tasted.