Fairyhouse winter racing festival launched
Fairyhouse racecourse manager Peter Roe was interviewd on stage last night by Irish Field editor Leo Powell. at the inaugural launch night of the Meath winter racing season for both Fairyhouse and Navan Racecourses.
Navan manager Peter Killeen was also interviewed (see separate story uploading next)
The event was a huge success and racing enthusiasts enjoyed the night at the Knightsbrook Hotel where there was a panel discussion hosted by Dave Keena with trainers Noel Meade, Gordon Elliott, Gavin Cromwell, jockey Robbie Power and former jockey Paul Carberry along with Racing Post man David Jennings (all on Meath Chronicle Facebook live on the night)
Fairyhousei s the home of the BoyleSports Irish Grand National, one of the biggest sporting events in the country, which is run on Easter Monday each year.
The Irish Grand National is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown for the course, however there is the small matter of the Winter Festival to come first, which will be held this season on the 3rd and 4th of December.
A feast of top class racing including three Grade One contests, the Bar One Racing sponsored Winter Festival at Fairyhouse is one of the most prestigious weekends of racing on the Irish calendar.
Fairyhouse is an important part of the community with both Meath GAA and Ratoath GAA holding annual race day fundraisers at the track, the influx of business to the surrounding towns during the Winter and Easter Festivals is also key to the tracks position in the community.
“We are always looking for ways to integrate more with the community and we have some exciting plans in place for next year’s Easter Festival to improve on this” said David O’Connor, Sales and Marketing Manager at the track.
“We also run a schools day where local school kids are invited to the track for an insight into how things work.
'They get to meet the course and track managers, a local trainer, a local jockey and even get to ride the racing simulator, we have had over 500 local school children join us for these days in the past couple of years and it is great to see the enthusiasm they bring.”
The Winter Festival on 3rd and 4th December comprises one of three race days in December with the third fixture being the Christmas party race day on 17thj December which is again proving very popular with a lot of local businesses as something a bit different for the Christmas Party.
There’s no rest for the team at Fairyhouse however, as hot on the heels is the traditional New Year’s Day racing fixture!