ALL roads leads to the Curragh Racecourse for next weekend’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival but there are also some exciting events planned for the week ahead at the Kildare Derby Festival.

One of the ‘not to be missed’ events is the Irish Derby Breakfast with Michael Kinane, which takes place next Wednesday at the track.

Event MC Robbie Irwin will interview the legendary jockey about the famous horses, jockeys, owners and trainers who won the Irish Derby during his career in the saddle, including Kinane’s back-to-back wins on Galileo and High Chaparral. The breakfast will be hosted in the Lilywhites Lounge in the grandstand, overlooking the Flat Rath gallops. A continental breakfast with tea and coffee will be served from 9.15am and guests will also receive a complimentary general admission ticket for racing on Friday evening. Tickets are €35 each.

Another great event being organised by the Curragh Racecourse is a gallops tour with John Oxx, which will also include breakfast afterwards at the racecourse’s Orby’s by Lucy restaurant on Thursday.

Guests can join the retired trainer for an early morning bus tour of the Curragh, followed by a full Irish breakfast with tea/coffee at Orby’s by Lucy. Oxx trained Irish Derby winners Sinndar and Alamshar, as well as world champion Sea The Stars.

The tour starts at 6.45am followed by breakfast at 8am. Tickets are €45. There are lots of other interesting events planned for the week in Kildare, so check out the website.

Web: thoroughbredcountry.ie/kildare-derby-festival/