Listowel will host its 161th harvest racing festival from Sunday 8th to Saturday 14th of September. Attracting huge crowds from all over Ireland and abroad, this celebrated 7 day festival once again promises to live up to its reputation for Serious Racing, Serious Fun and Sensational Style. Renowned as one of the longest established race meetings in Ireland, this year the total Prize Money over the 7 days is €1.343,500m. Racing highlights include the €40,000 Kerry Group Handicap Steeplechase (Sunday 8th); the €200,000 Guinness Kerry National Handicap Steeplechase, Grade A (Wednesday 11th) and the €100,000 Ladbrokes Ireland Handicap Hurdle, Grade B (Thursday 12th). Social highlights include the Kerry Group Family Day on Sunday 8th, the McElligotts Honda Ladies Day on Friday 13th and the Listowel Tidy Towns / An Taisce sustainable focussed fashion competition on Saturday 14th of September, the closing day of the 2019 festival. For more information or to book tickets online visit www.listowelraces.ie. Follow the hashtag #listowelraces for updates and use the hashtag to join the conversation!
The fashion stakes are high…
Listowel Races is the place to see what’s on trend for the new Autumn season with fashion competitions offering stylish racers of all ages the opportunity to dress to impress and win generous cash prizes and even a new Honda Civic for a year! Once again, McElligotts and Honda Ireland are sponsoring Ladies Day on Friday 13th of September. Judged by two
fashion icons Marietta Doran and Celia Holman Lee, this year the overall McElligotts Honda Best Dressed Lady will win a Honda Civic for a year and €3,000 in cash, with further cash prizes to be won on the day for Jazziest Headpiece and Most Stylish Selfie! Listowel Races goes Green on Saturday 14th of September with the Listowel Tidy Town / An Taisce Best Presentation of an Up cycled/Restyled or Authentic Vintage Outfit. This is the 7th year of this popular sustainable focussed fashion competition, which encourages race goers to wear vintage and to re-style and up-cycle their wardrobes so as to reduce waste and be kinder to the environment. Generously sponsored by Listowel Race Company, McCarthy Brokers, Oonagh of Broderick’s Pharmacy and the businesses of Listowel town, it will be judged by vintage lover and top model Pat Walker and Susan Vickers from An Taisce.
Join the conversation…and win €300!
Excitingly, this year Listowel Races are inviting everyone to join in on the fun on social
media and share a photo that captures the feeling of the serious racing, fun and style…that is synonymous with Listowel. The competition “Listowel Races – It’s a Feeling” is on from Sunday 8th to Wednesday 11th and to enter simply take a photo and hashtag #listowelraces on Instagram or Facebook. The image and caption should show the feeling of being at the races in Listowel, so be creative as this can be widely interpreted! The judges will select 10 finalists from the entries and there will be an online public vote on Thursday 12th and the overall winner will receive €300!
“Save your heels – we have got wheels”
Making a welcome return on Ladies Day is the now famous Listowel Races double decker open top bus. With the promise to “Save your heels – we have got wheels” the Listowel Bus is free and will depart from 12 noon, every half hour from the town Square. There will be jazz music with David Rath on board the bus, complimentary prosecco, ticket giveaways and prizes. The brainchild of David Fitzmaurice, Director & former Chairman of Listowel Racing Company, the bus will bring racegoers in comfort and style to Ladies Day.
Families and Fun
As always, in addition to top quality National Hunt and Flat racing, the Listowel Racing
Committee have organised an extensive range of free entertainment, including the Kerry Group Family Day; daily race card draws with cash prizes, promotions, music and more.
Tickets can be pre-purchased online with special offers
Admission is €25 on Wednesday and Friday and only €20 on the other 5 days. Seniors & Students are €12 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and €15 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Children under 12 have free admission to the racecourse when accompanied by an adult. Generous group, corporate, sports clubs and pre booking discounts also available with 20% discount for pre purchase of 20 tickets or more and a special offer of a 7 day ticket for €120 (a saving of €30). All tickets can be purchased online at www.listowelraces.ie.
Pictured: Aishling O’Connell from Tralee was on hand in vintage clothing at the launch of the 161th Listowel Harvest Racing Festival. Also in photo are members of the vintage committee, Brenda Daly, Secretary /Manager Listowel Races, Imelda Murphy, David Fitzmaurice, Mary Hanlon and Judy Gleeson from Listowel Tidy Towns.
