Increase in prize money at Galway Festival The pots on offer for winning owners and trainers at the Galway Festival have increased, with prize money over the week being boosted by a further 83,000 Euro, to 1,884,000 Euro. Guinness maintain its long-running association with the Galway Hurdle, which is the richest National Hunt race ever to be run in Ireland, worth 300,000 Euro. Meanwhile, Tote Ireland continues to sponsor the Wednesday card, and thetote.com Galway Plate has a prize fund of 220,000 Euro. The feature races on the other festival days are now worth a minimum of 80,000 Euro, while there is a new sponsor for the Tuesday card - Colm Quinn BMW Athlone and Galway. The Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on Tuesday evening is worth 120,000 Euro. There has also been an increased focus on the supporting races each day, with the minimum value of any race during the week now 15,000 Euro. This figure has been boosted from 12,000 Euro in 2015. General Manager of Galway Racecourse Michael Moloney said: "One of the successes of Galway’s race programme is that it aims to provide as many opportunities as possible for the horse population which provides a chance for many owners and trainers to have a runner at the festival, therefore it is particularly satisfying to see the minimum race value set at 15,000 Euro this year, an increase of 50 per cent from 2014. "We are also delighted to be in a position to run the richest national hunt race in the Guinness Galway Hurdle which will be valued at 300,000 Euro again this year. It is a tribute to all our sponsors and to Horse Racing Ireland to be in a position to offer this level of prize money and we look forward to offering some great racing during the festival.” Director of Racing of Horse Racing Ireland Jason Morris said: "It is very satisfying that the minimum value for all races at the Festival will rise by 25 per cent from 12,000 Euro in 2015 to 15,000 Euro this year, as it is only appropriate that winners at Galway are adequately rewarded at all levels given the extremely competitive nature of the racing.”
