All systems go for the 2020 Galway Summer Racing Festival

ANY lingering doubts about the week-long Galway Summer Racing Festival going ahead in 2020 are over.

Horse Racing Ireland have confirmed that the original fixtures calendar from the end of July will stand as the sport prepares to resume action on Monday, June 8.

But there’s going to be a significant change to the running order of the Ballybrit festival. There will be no mixed cards, with four days of flat racing and three of National Hunt.

It is anticipated that the jumping fixtures – the highlights of which will be the Galway Plate and Guinness Hurdle – will be held on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of race week, sandwiched between four days of flat racing.

Michael Moloney, General Manager of Galway Racecourse, has welcomed the news. “We are still awaiting final confirmation but I am very confident the full seven days will go ahead.”

Though the festival will be held behind closed doors, Moloney says that through TV and media coverage there will be ‘plenty of content’ to keep their usual patrons happy.