THE Association of Irish Racecourses (AIR) represents those who own and/or operate Ireland’s 26 racecourses nationwide.

This week they are shining a light on one of their member tracks, Ballinrobe Racecourse, as anticipation builds ahead of the Co Mayo venue’s first meeting of the season. Friday, April 8th will no doubt see large crowds of excited patrons flock to the racecourse as normal service returns to the track for the first time in two years.

Ballinrobe Racecourse’s racing season is made up of 10 race meetings from April to September, consisting of eight National Hunt programmes and two flat race meetings. Needless to say, there are many highlights on the racing calendar where Ballinrobe is concerned, one in particular, being the McHale Raceday which will take place on Tuesday, May 31st and will be McHale’s ninth year of sponsorship.

A few key races featured on McHale Raceday, who are near neighbours of the track, include the Grade B McHale Mayo National, the McHale Mayo Hurdle and the McHale Tiger Roll Beginners Chase, named after the dual Randox Grand National hero who was of course a winner at Ballinrobe in 2016.

Monday, June 20th will see a seven-race flat meeting at Ballinrobe Racecourse. However, more importantly for some, this event will be a major highlight on the social calendar for the ladies as it is Ladies Day. This day of colour is sponsored by the Lodge at Ashford Castle again this year and there are lots of fantastic prizes up for grabs.

The elegant, white-washed Lodge is set on the magnificent 350-acre Ashford estate and has views to rival the best in the world. They have come on board once again to sponsor this day following their support of Virtual Ladies Day.

Marketing professional in the IT industry, model, and fashion and beauty influencer Pam Richardson-Hoare will judge the competition and Ballinrobe will release more information in due course during the build-up to the big day.

Excited

Ballinrobe Racecourse manager John Flannelly recently commented: “We are very excited to return to normality following the tough two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. We get back to action again on Friday next, and to hear the roar of the crowd as the horses pass the winning post is the one thing that we look forward to most. Ballinrobe is known for a great atmosphere and this aspect has been sorely missed.

“As ever, I would like to thank our loyal sponsors who supported us during the last two years and have again committed to sponsor with us for this season. We have two race days fully supported on May 31st and July 18th by McHale and the Tote respectively, and the support of all our sponsors is greatly appreciated. We look forward to welcoming back racegoers for a fantastic season at Ballinrobe.”

Buy online

Once again, a reminder that Ballinrobe Racecourse’s season kicks off on next Friday, April 8th, and racegoers can avail of a 10% discount on admission when tickets are bought online.

Furthermore, group raceday packages and annual memberships are available to purchase now online only, and these cannot be purchased on the day. For more information on the races, or to purchase tickets, visit Ballinrobe Racecourse.ie now.

The Association of Irish Racecourses and its 25 other member tracks would like to wish the board, management and staff at Ballinrobe Racecourse the very best of luck with all their upcoming fixtures for the 2022 racing season.