Ladies Steeplechase at Fairyhouse for Marie Keating Foundation
Jockeys Katie Walsh, Nina Carberry and Rachael Blackmore are among some of the top riders aiming to take part in the Today FM Fairyhouse Ladies Steeplechase on Wednesday 18th November. The 2m 5f handicap chase will be the first all-female chase under rules to be staged in Ireland.
Admission on the day will be €6 which will all go to the Marie Keating Foundation. Platinum level tickets for €65 are also available, which includes admission, a three course lunch, a racecard, tipster and DJ after racing. More information and tickets are available from www.mariekeating.ie.
At the launch of the event, Katie Walsh said: “I’m delighted to see the introduction of an all-female riders handicap chase as it opens up new opportunities for female riders in Ireland and will showcase the talent among our ranks. It’s also great that we are all coming together to hold this event with Today FM in honour of a charity that does so much to help both men and women who are affected by cancer. We will have a great day for a great cause.”
Nina Carberry added: “This is a historic occasion in Irish racing as it will be the first time a chase race under the rules of Irish National Hunt racing is confined to lady riders. The standard is very high on the Irish racing scene and among female jockeys and there’s no shortage of friendly rivalry, so I’m looking forward to what will hopefully be a hotly-contested race and the first of many.”
Linda Keating, director of fundraising, the Marie Keating Foundation said, “We are thrilled to be part of this event. All the funds raised will help the Marie Keating Foundation to continue to offer all our services free of charge. Coming into the winter months, services such as our Comfort Fund, which support people struggling financially due to cancer, are under increasing pressure, so events such as the Today FM Fairyhouse Ladies Steeplechase Day help us to support as many families as possible.”
Róisín Reilly, marketing manager from Today FM said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Today FM Fairyhouse Ladies Steeplechase Day in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation. Today FM is all about expecting something different and we have something of an affection for horses around here so this is the perfect event for us to get involved in and raise money for a brilliant charity at the same time.”
Peter Roe, manager, Fairyhouse Racecourse, said: “Katie Walsh showed everyone by becoming the third ever female jockey to win the Irish Grand National back in April, and the second in five years after Nina Carberry, that our female jockeys are more than capable of competing with the men. There has been great strides with ladies races in the point-to-point field and so it is appropriate that Fairyhouse can now provide our talented lady riders with the opportunity to contest the first ever all-female chase under rules.”
The Today FM Fairyhouse Ladies Steeplechase Day in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation will feature a Best Dressed competition, which will be judged by leading Irish designer Aideen Bodkin.
For tickets and more information, see www.mariekeating.ie.
Following their mother Marie’s death in 1998, the Keating family promised that they would do everything they could to bring an end to cancer. They committed to provide all families with the necessary information to prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest stages.
Through its community information service, the Foundation’s dedicated nurses have enlightened over 190,000 people of the causes and risk factors of cancer. The Foundation is continuing to expand its awareness campaigns on each of the most common cancers affecting both men and women in Ireland, at local level through its community outreach approach as well as through national campaigns.
Through its Comfort Fund, the Marie Keating Foundation provides financial assistance to people who are currently receiving treatment for any kind of cancer and who, as a result, find themselves in financial difficulty. In 2014 alone, over 200 families received assistance from the Comfort Fund.
Increasingly, the Foundation is providing support to cancer survivors and those who have completed their treatment through its Survive & Thrive programmes. The Foundation holds wellness days and workshop programmes for both men and women throughout the country.