Only 1,000 a day but Galway Summer Festival still promises to be memorable

THERE won’t be many there, but Galway racecourse is pulling out all the stops to make sure the race-day experience is as near normal as possible at Ballybrit next week.

With only a daily attendance of 1,000 – plus industry staff –  the famed Galway Summer Festival will bear little resemblance to the usual throngs associated with the week-long meeting.

But with half the enclosure cordoned off next week, it means the restricted crowd will be more confined which should help in generating something of an atmosphere.

About eight bookmakers will be operating at the festival, and punters will also be able to avail of Tote facilities.

A marquee has been set up in the Boomakers’ Ring from where a table service will be available for the supply of liquid refreshments. There will also be catering stations, and everything will be outdoors.

There will be an industry bubble near the parade ring for jockeys, trainers, HRI personnel and the media which the general public won’t have access to.

Entrance to the racecourse will only be via the Parkmore Road as the centre of the course will remain closed for the duration of the festival.

Given the hot weather, it’s no surprise that 10mls of water is being spread on the course daily and Galway CEO, Michael Moloney, reports that the going on both the National Hunt and flat tracks is good.

“The lads come in around 4am and do the watering overnight to maximise its impact. We are trying to keep on top of the situation, but it’s a bit of a Catch 22 as the forecast is for temperatures to cool and for some rain next Wednesday.”

Though remaining frustrated that their application for a daily attendance of 5,000 was turned down, Moloney believes that the lucky few who attend Ballybrit will still enjoy the festival.

“I think we will have a nice little atmosphere given that the crowd won’t be so spread out,” said Moloney, who expressed delight with the strong level of entries for the meeting.

Though no cross-channel challengers are entered for the Tote Galway Plate, there are three possible contenders from the UK in the Guinness Hurdle –  Copperless, the runaway winner of the Swinton Handicap Hurdle at Haydock in May, Neil Mulholland’s Scottish Champion Hurdle hero Milkwood, and Mrs Hyde, trained by Brian Ellison who has five Galway festival winners to his name.