Only 1,000 spectators a day allowed to attend Galway Summer Racing Festival

RACING fans have been left reeling from the news that only 1,000 spectators will be allowed to attend each day of the upcoming Galway Summer Festival.

With crowds gradually increasing at other sporting events around the country – 18,000 spectators will be attending GAA provincial finals at Croke Park – the Government’s decision to restrict the numbers to 1,000 at Ballybrit has been met with widespread incredulity and disappointment.

It means that only a limited number of tickets will go on public sale. Galway Racecourse has 1200 annual members who will have first option on attending the week-long festival.

The 1,000 spectators will be on top of the industry personnel in attendance – a cohort of people which includes jockeys, trainers, owners, sponsors, stewards, racecourse staff, stable staff and the media.

Given the restricted crowd, it is expected that about eight bookmakers will be operating at Ballybrit where major gambles have been a signature of the festival’s history.

With the week-long meeting held behind closed doors due to Covid-19 last year, the 2021 meeting will also bear only a passing resemblance to the vibrant atmosphere usually associated with the Galway Races.

It has been a trying few days for Michael Moloney, General Manager of Galway Racecourse, and his staff as they awaited news of a detailed submission to the Government and the HSE, applying for 5,000 spectators to attend each day of the festival.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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