Bellewstown beckons
Cheltenham Festival winning jockey and two-time champion lady rider, Lisa O’Neill, is the Ambassador for the 2019 July Festival at Bellewstown Races, which takes place this week, from Wednesday 3rd July to Saturday 6th July. Hailing from Garristown and born into a racing family, Lisa has been attending the Bellewstown Races from a very young age and has fond memories of her days racing on the Hill Of Crockafotha as a young girl, to now riding winners at her local track.
The tradition of Summer Racing dates back centuries and the first record of racing there appears in the August edition of the Dublin Gazette and the Weekly Courier in 1726.
Lisa O’Neill said: “I’m honoured to have been asked to be the ambassador for Bellewstown’s July Festival this summer. With it being one of my home tracks, it is always a week I look forward to in the racing calendar. There are always large crowds and a great atmosphere and people go racing there, that may not go racing any other time of the year. There are plenty of opportunities for amateurs at Bellewstown’s July Festival, with the Drogheda Traders Plate (QR) Handicap on the Wednesday, The RacingTV.com Qualified Riders race on the Thursday aswell as a bumper on the Saturday, so hopefully I can bring home a winner or two!”
Kevin Coleman, general manager, Bellewstown Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to have Lisa O’Neill as our Ambassador for our July Festival this year. Lisa is a Cheltenham Festival winning jockey, dual Kerry National winning rider and two-time champion lady rider. Her achievements in the saddle are outstanding and we are very proud to have her as the face of our event this year. Bellewstown is an event which has the local community at its heart and having Lisa, a local jockey as our ambassador, embodies all that Bellewstown Races is about.”
Now in its second year as a four-day festival, on Friday Bellewstown will host the highly competitive Scotch Hall Best Dressed Event, judged this year by XPOSÉ presenter Cassie Stokes assisted by Dawn Finnegan of Dawn LA Blog, 'Style Ambassador' for Bellewstown Races. The winner will take home a shopping spree to the value of €2,000 at Drogheda shopping venue, Scotch Hall. There are also several other prizes on offer from local businesses with some weekends away at some of Ireland’s leading hotels.
This year racegoers can avail of some seriously good value by purchasing a Punters Package for any of the four evenings – ‘The Bellewstown Belter’ which includes Enclosure Admission, Free Pint, a €5 ‘Matched’ Bet and a Racecard – all this for only €20 with tickets available online at www.bellewstownraces.ie. There are also hospitality options each evening to suit all budgets with course entry, dining options, race card, on site betting facility and live entertainment from local bands.
Enquiris to 086 8629405, email klaybell@eircom.net or www.bellewstownraces.ie.