Meath woman aiming for Punchestown success

Kerri Lyons (pictured), daughter of top flat trainer Ger, will be the only Meath lady rider in action in big charity race at Punchestown next week on Saturday 30th April.

There will be lots of Meath interest in the race that is in aid of the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund with the race scheduled for a 6.40pm start on the final day of the big Festival meeting.

Kerri will be riding in a race for the first time and is hopeful that she might get to ride of the flat horses from her father's stable, but Gordon Elliott might also be providing the ammunition for the Dublin Business College student who is aiming to be fit for the race. She rides out four or five lots every morning before heading to college.

There are three Meath men also in the 25-runner line up and they are Paddy Woods from Julianstown, David Carolan (Trim) and David O’Neill (Ashbourne).

The race is Ireland’s longest running Charity Race and it has raised over €1.3 million since it was started in 1990 by James Nolan from Kilcullen after he received a successful transplant from his sister Catherine, in 1987.

The Charity has raised over €1.3 million to date and the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund has committed to giving over €275,000 to various Irish Kidney related projects during 2015 and 2016.

The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund is to donate €150,000 towards the building of a new Renal Ward for Temple Street Children's Hospital In Dublin.

The Charity is promoting Organ Donor Awareness in Ireland, which requests people to consider carrying an Organ Donor Card.