Punchestown racecourse have announced the inaugural ‘Up The
Yard Race Day’ which will take place on the first day of the 2017 Punchestown
Winter Festival, Saturday November 18. The event is in recognition
of the stable and stud staff of Ireland who contribute so much to the success
of the Irish racing and bloodstock industry.
The centre piece of the occasion is the Up The Yard
Challenge Race which will offer 16 individuals the opportunity to take part in
a one mile and six furlongs race around the famous Punchestown track.
Yards are requested to nominate one rider to represent their place of work. The
nominee must have never ridden between the flags or under rules and must be
aged 18 years and over. A special assessment session in RACE will take place in
the coming weeks. Details of nominees, name, age, nominating trainer and a
short explanation as to why this person has been selected, must be
received by Monday October 16 direct to lhughes@punchestown.com with a draw
taking place during racing on Thursday October 19 at Punchestown
to decide the lucky participants and reserves.
Richie Galway, Punchestown Racing Manager further
explained the Up The Yard race concept, saying: “The whole idea behind the Up
The Yard Challenge Race is to offer the opportunity for people who work in
racing to realise a dream. Achieving the ambition of riding on the track is a
tough task in such a competitive industry and we all know that there are very
talented horsemen and women riding out every day in yards throughout the
country. This is a chance for them to show us what they can do and represent
their yard and work colleagues at the same time."
Stable and stud staff from around the country are invited to
enjoy an off duty afternoon at the races where there will be a full programme
of inter-yard games and challenges with a brilliant selection of spot prizes
and vouchers to be won. Of course admission on the day is free of charge
on presentation of an active AIR card and additional complimentary staff
tickets can be organised in advance through the trainers and stud office direct
to Punchestown. Information on the stud staff admission system will be
announced shortly.
Punchestown and Up The Yard official partners Ladbrokes, The
Racing Post , Goffs, The Irish Field, Horse Racing Ireland and The Irish Stable
Staff Association look forward to welcoming stud and stable staff
to the home of Irish jump racing where a dedicated hospitality area in
the newly refurbished Sports Bar with live entertainment and complimentary food
will be available for the day. A transfer coach into Naas will be provided post
racing for those who wish to continue the celebrations. Further involvement and
support from industry businesses and supporters would be welcomed and all
enquiries should be sent to Conor O’Neill at Punchestown Racecourse.
Punchestown General Manager Dick O’Sullivan, commented: “We know that Ireland are world leaders on the global
racing and bloodstock stage and that prestigious position is not achieved
without a huge amount of work and effort from many people. We often hear stud
and stable staff described as the unsung heroes of the industry who are behind
the scenes. Well this is our way of placing those very people front and centre
of the racing stage for a day and publicly stating that their contribution is
truly recognised and very much appreciated.
Racing returns to Punchestown on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 October. The Up The Yard Day will take place on
Saturday November 18. To keep up to date on all prizes and
activities on the day please follow Punchestown on Twitter, Facebook and at www.punchestown.com