Two days of racing from this year’s Galway Races Summer Festival will be broadcast live on TG4 on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st July, the first time the station has been back on track for race Week since 2006.

The live coverage on TG4 will include a packed race card with 15 races shown over the two days to a free-to-air audience.

It will follow on from the first four days of the Festival being broadcast live on RTÉ and the final Sunday on the Racing Channel.

Talks are also ongoing between the HSE, Horse Racing Ireland and Galway racecourse management about the potential for up to 5,000 racegoers to attend each day of the meeting. That would be a long way short of the 45,000 that would normally be part of the atmosphere but in the circumstances it would be a great result.

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby took place at the Curragh on Saturday in front of a crowd of 1,000 and the lessons learned from that are being considered as part of the overall pilot programme of test events across multiple sports.

Increase

2021 saw a concerted increase in Irish Horseracing coverage for TG4, which provided live racing to fans over 10 weeks from venues including Leopardstown, Punchestown, Naas, Cork, Limerick, Dundalk, Navan and Sligo.

Highlights included the opening of the flat season back at its home in The Curragh; the Easter Festival in Fairyhouse and the triumphant return to Tramore of trainer Henry de Bromhead and his stable of champions from Cheltenham who were paraded live for admirers on TG4.

Rásaí Beo will be presented by Seán Bán Breathnach, with analysis by Mánus Ó Conghaile and Evelyn Ní Ghriallais. Racing journalist Daragh Ó Conchúir will be getting all the reactions from trainers, owners and jockeys outside the parade ring and race commentary will be provided by Cárthach Breathnach.

The coverage will also be available to watch on the TG4 Player and on the TG4 Mobile and Smart TV App. Spórt TG4 will also have exclusive behind the scenes action from Ballybrit across its social media channels.

Delighted

“We are delighted to have the team from TG4 broadcast live from Galway Racecourse on both the Friday and Saturday of our Summer Festival this year,” said CEO of Galway Racecourse, Michael Moloney.

“In the current times, we really miss our loyal supporters here in Ballybrit that come year after year, and bring such magic to our event, so this news that they can get close to the action this Summer is very much welcomed. The Galway Races is a multi-generational event and such a huge part of Summer tradition and Irish culture.”

“We are delighted to be showing the Galway Races Summer festival,” added TG4 Haed of Sport Rónán Ó Coisdealbha.

“Horse racing became an integral part of the station’s sporting output this year, and we look forward to continuing this with TG4’s free-to-air coverage from Ireland’s largest horse racing meet. We are particularly excited to be back in Ballybrit for the first time in 15 years, and to bring all the thrills that comes with this iconic festival to the viewers at home.”

 

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