Cheltenham chat

BARRY Connell will be the special guest at an evening in Squire’s Bar in the Silken Thomas in Kildare town next Wednesday March 6th. Organised by Kildare Town AFC, the evening starts at 8pm and will feature Marine Nationale’s trainer being interviewed by Horse Racing Ireland’s ‘memory man’ Martin Murphy. This will be followed by a Cheltenham-themed table quiz (€40 entry fee for a team of four). Further information is available from Denise on 086-402 9144 or Lesley on 087-644 5896.

Naas track talk

WANT to hear about the history of Naas Racecourse from the man who knows the subject better than anyone else?

Naas Local History Group is hosting a talk next Tuesday (March 5th) at 8pm in the Town House Hotel. Entitled ‘100 years of thrills and spills - the centenary of Naas Racecourse’, the illustrated talk will be given by Turtle Bunbury, author of the book launched in January which records the history of the racecourse.

Prize winner

COPIES of The Irish Field’s Cheltenham Festival magazine, produced in association with Goffs, continue to sell well and final orders are still being taken on our website. Among those to place an early order was Mark Long from Barna in Co Galway, whose name was drawn at random as the winner of a branded gilet from The Irish Field. The 120-page award-winning magazine is also on sale in selected newsagents around the country.

New arrival

CONGRATS to Stephanie Kennedy from Ballylinch Stud and her partner Ciaran Clear on the birth of their son, Caelan James, earlier this week.