Ladbrokes sponsor Saturday of Galway Festival

Ladbrokes were today announced as a significant sponsor at this year's Galway Festival with the bookmaking firm, who have two betting offices on-site at Ballybrit, underwriting six of the seven races on the Saturday card.

The penultimate afternoon of the week-long festival, which this year runs from Monday, July 25th to Sunday, July 31st, is designated as "Ladbrokes Red Day" and features the €70,000 Ladbrokes "Biggest Names Best Prices" Handicap and the €40,000 Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle.

"Ladbrokes Red Day" is a novel new competition for the Festival based on dressing in red. The firm will present a "fantastic prize" for the person judged to be sporting a unique red element to his or her outfit.

All 52 races scheduled by the Galway Race Committee for this year's Festival are sponsored, resulting in an overall prize fund of €1.6 million.

Joe Lewins, Managing Director of Ladbrokes Ireland said: “We’re very much looking forward to this year’s Festival and are delighted to be building our association with what has become one of the main highlights of the summer. We are committed to supporting Irish racing, and we have a number of plans underway that we feel will contribute to making the week even more spectacular.”

The Committee chairman Mr. Tim Naughton welcomed Ladbrokes' involvement as the new headline backers for the Saturday programme during today's press launch of the 2011 fixture at the Carlton Hotel in Galway, in addition to thanking existing sponsors for their continued support.

Guinness will again sponsor the Thursday afternoon and Friday evening sessions, and are responsible for the richest National Hunt race being run in Ireland this year – Thursday's €260,000 Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle which was won last year by English raider Overturn (entered again this year).

The preceding afternoon's card is fully sponsored by Tote Ireland and features the €200,000 thetote.com Galway Plate, won 12 months ago by Tony McCoy aboard J P McManus' Finger Onthe Pulse.

At present five UK trainers have made entries for this race including last year’s Latin Quarter Steeplechase winner Invisible Man.

Details of the ever popular Ladies Day on Thursday July 28th of the Festival were also released today. Anthony Ryan Ltd has continued its commitment to Ladies Day and will once again sponsor the highly coveted Best Dressed Lady Prize and Best Hat Prize, with the Best Dressed Lady set to scoop a prize worth over €12,000.

This year’s Best Dressed Lady will walk away with a Diamond Solitaire Pendant valued at €8,500, a shopping spree worth €1,500 in Anthony Ryans, Galway and €1,000 cash. She will also receive a Lancôme Presentation Gift Hamper worth over €500 and a corporate hospitality package for Galway Races October Bank Holiday Racing Festival to include dinner and champagne reception.

The prize for the winner of the “Best Hat” is a €1500 shopping spree at Anthony Ryan’s Galway. All finalists at the Anthony Ryan’s Best Dressed Marquee will be presented with a special collection of Lancôme cosmetics compliments of University Pharmacy, Galway.

Judging this year’s competition are three of the best known names in the Irish fashion industry – Brendan Courtney, Bairbre Power and PJ Gibbons.

The week kicks off on Monday, July 25th with Galway's Best Hotels day, the feature race backed by the Carlton Hotel. Sponsoring the remainder of the evening are other leading hotels Claregalway, Clayton, Galway Bay, the G, Meyrick, Ramada, Radisson Blu and Salthill.

In addition Monday's fare also features "Racing with the Sports Stars" with television presenter Daithi O'Sé interviewing big names from the rugby world as well as leading flat and jumps jockeys as the judging of the "Most Appropriately Dressed Lady" competition for one of award-winning Galway milliner Suzie Mahoney's hats is conducted in the enclosure by her in company with Noel Cunningham from TV3's Morning AM.

Topaz are Tuesday's principal sponsors when their three races are headlined by the €115,000 Topaz Galway Mile. Well-known western business Caulfield Industrial host three other events plus the Latin Quarter Steeplechase backed by Galway city's prime entertainment sector.

Friday's meeting marks the first officially-designated Sports and Social evening suggested as the perfect venue for a work-based night out to relax and enjoy the racing with friends and colleagues. Contact the racecourse office (091-753870) for details of packages.

The Connacht Tribune Handicap Chase is the main race once more on the final afternoon (Sunday, July 31) with Galway Bay FM and Easyfix both sponsoring supporting races. J P McManus' Martinstown Stud, the Trappers Inn Galway and the Galway Shopping Centre also sponsor, with the latter also backing the Mad Hatters competition which takes place on this “Family Day”.