Free family fun with Kids Zone area TODAY at Curragh Racecourse

The Curragh stages an eight race programme today on Bank Holiday Monday  featuring trials for the upcoming Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival.

Gates open at 11.30am with the first race at 1.20pm.  

The race day is themed as Newbridge Parishes Community Raceday -  a very popular and fun family day in the racing calendar. 

In excess of €550,000 has been raised for projects benefiting the local community since the Newbridge Parishes Raceday was launched over 35 years ago, including the development of the Parish Community Centre. 

A variety of free family entertainment will be hosted throughout the afternoon with a Kids Zone area packed with free children’s entertainment, performances from local stage schools and a Defence Forces display area.

Exhibition games by children from various local sports clubs will also take place between races on the racetrack. 

Early bird tickets are available for €15 (€20 on the day) at www.curragh.ie, while under 18s are free accompanied by an adult. 

As usual, a FREE return shuttle bus service will be in action, provided by Fosters and sponsored by Manguard Plus, allowing racegoers to enjoy their day out and leave the car at home. The buses will serve Kildare and Newbridge towns, starting their routes from both Kildare and Newbridge train stations in advance of gates open. Please keep an eye on curragh.ie as timetables are updated closer to the day.

Newbridge Parish Priest, Fr Ruairí O’Domhnaill, commented: “This is a very special day for our Parishes which raises much needed funds for various projects within our community.  We would like to thank the Curragh for their continued support of the Newbridge Parishes Raceday and we hope that everyone will join us on Monday May 1st for what promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable day with lots of entertainment for all the family.”

Evan Arkwright, Racing and Sponsorship Manager The Curragh Racecourse, said: “The Newbridge Parishes Raceday is an integral part of the Curragh season and the longevity of the event is of great credit to the organising committee who have put some much of their time and effort into making the day such an enjoyable experience for so many people of all ages.”

Irish Champions Stakes winner Luxembourg is among the contenders for the Coolmore Sottsass Mooresbridge Stakes, following the publication of entries today. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has also entered Changingoftheguard, Bolshoi Ballet and Point Longsdale, while son Joseph is likely to be represented by Above The Curve and Visualisation and younger son Donnacha with Piz Badile. Other significant entries include Insinuendo and Trevaunance, while West Wind Blows trained by Simon and Ed Crisford will attempt to become the first British trained winner of the Group 2 contest since Curtain Call in 2009.

Trainer Joseph O’Brien will be strongly represented in the Coolmore Circus Maximus Athasi Stakes with five entries including Agartha, Honey Girl, Goldana and Basil Martini.  Just Beautiful, You Send Me,  Eternal Silence and Tarawa are other notable contenders in the Group 3 contest.

Cairo, Hellsing, Paddington and Bold Discovery are among the twelve entries for the Coolmore Blackbeard Tetrarch Stakes, while impressive Cork winner Noche Magica, trained by Paddy Twomey, and Bucanero Fuerte, trained by Adrian Murray, winner of the opening race of the Curragh season last month, are among the fourteen entries for the GAIN First Flier Stakes.