The 5-Day Tralee Festival Launched The 5-day Tralee Racing Festival was launched this week (Wednesday 3rd August) at an evening event in the Meadowlands Hotel in the town centre. Kerryman and rugby hero Mick Galwey and John O'Donoghue, TD, Minister for Art, Sport & Tourism were the special guests on the night. Details of this years festival which has been elongated to a 5-day meeting commences on Monday 22nd August, with the feature event being the EUR37,000 Brandon Hotel Handicap Hurdle over two miles and one furlong. Tuesday's feature race is the EUR35,000 Kerryman 4-Y-O Handicap Hurdle while Wednesday's two big races, The Carlsberg Ruby Stakes and The Guinness Gold Cup, are both worth EUR60,000. The big one on Thursday is the Denny Gold Medal Handicap Steeplechase worth EUR45,000 while the concluding day sees the EUR50,000 Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund 2-Y-O Premier Nursery topping the bill.John O'Donoghue, TD, Minister for Art, Sport & Tourism spoke at the event saying that:- 'Along with this thoroughly enjoyable race meet, we can also look forward to the festivities that surround the Rose of Tralee Festival, which coincides with this event. These are two immensely important events not only for Tralee but for all of County Kerry and further afield. The Tralee races emphasis the point of the tradition and hard work that is evident in the Irish horseracing industry today. Since 1898 this beautiful site of Ballybeggan Park has been used for the Tralee Races. We can now look forward to five days of exciting flat and jump racing which will provide the highlight of the season here at Tralee.'Paddy Barry, Chairman of the Tralee racing festival said: ? 'With just under two and a half weeks to go, we are looking forward to good competitive racing for the valuable prize money that is on offer. We are looking forward to greeting all the familiar faces and making new friends'.Among the ninety guests on the evening were: Michael O'Rourke, Director of Marketing for Horse Racing Ireland, Edward Kelliher, Company Secretary for the Tralee Races Committee, Toireasa Ferris, Mayoress of Kerry, Grand National Winning Trainer Jimmy Mangan, Limerick Trainer Andrew McNamara.
