With the resumption of Irish racing looming on June 8, Horse Racing Ireland has released its full flat programme for July through to the end of the Galway Festival that concludes on Aug. 2. There will be 28 racing days through the month, including three days with double meetings and three blank days.
The G1 Irish Oaks festival on July 18 and 19 has been enhanced with three Group 2 races added to the weekend: the Curragh Cup for older stayers and the Railway S. and Balanchine S. for 2-year-olds. The G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, now open to 3-year-olds as well as older horses, highlights a new card at The Curragh on July 26.
Cork will stage five black-type races and two premier handicaps across its two Sunday cards July 5 and 12, while Dundalk will host the G3 Ballysax S. and the final leg of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby on July 12. Leopardstown's Listed Nijinsky S. moves back a week from July 9 to 16.
The €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. has been moved back three weeks to Aug. 23 at Naas to allow 2-year-olds a chance to get a prior run in.
Shane Doyle, HRI's race planning manager, said, “With the entries now available it is getting very real and we are looking forward to the resumption of Irish racing behind closed doors at Naas on Monday. We are now able to publish the Flat programme through to the end of the Galway Festival to facilitate connections with their medium-term planning, having released the revised fixture list for the whole of 2020 yesterday. The aim remains to provide all Flat horses with their first run as quickly as possible through divisions and ongoing consultation with the IRTA and then suitable subsequent opportunities by offering a balanced programme across all age groups, distances and categories.”
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