RTE star Doireann Garrihy and country crooner Nathan Carter are set to be among the 150,000 people heading west this week for the Galway Races.
Up to 12,000 Supermacs snack boxes will be eaten, half a million pints of Guinness will be poured and 500 bottles of champagne will be popped at the Ballybrit racecourse.
Celebrities including Nathan Carter and Doireann Garrihy are expected to go west for the week and enjoy the races.
Read More: Galway Races day 1 tips as the action gets under way at Ballybrit
CEO Michael Moloney said he is looking forward to welcoming punters back to the racecourse after a tough two years.
He said: “Tradition and soul are two components of any great festival, and it is something we feel we have in abundance here at Ballybrit. Whether you’re a first-time race goer or returning as a regular race goer, we hope that you will enjoy the experience here at Ballybrit.
“This is the 153rd running the Galway Race festival and after the last couple of years, we feel we have lined up the best festival yet.”
He said over the week, punters will be able to watch 52 races over the flat and jumps, while over 2.1M in prize money up for grabs.
“When you arrived through the gates this year, we hope you enjoy the new facilities around the enclosure. We have been blown away by the support of our fans this year.
“The stage awaits for what we think will be a very special week,” he added
On the racetrack, bookies Ladbrokes reckon that the highlight of the summer racing calendar could spark a betting bonanza as seven-days of racing kicks off.
With crowds back to full capacity, the bookies is offering odds of 4/6 that over 265,000 pints of Guinness will be knocked back over the meeting.
Meanwhile, the meeting is no stranger to tough weather conditions and Ladbrokes go even money that it rains every day of the festival.
Ladies Day is a huge attraction, and the bookmaker has opened betting on the colour of the winning outfit, making nude/peach tones the 3/1 favourite ahead of white at 4/1 and red at 5/1.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “The Galway Races is the highlight of the summer and with that, comes a betting bonanza with seven days of action on the agenda.
“This year the two men we fear the most is the powerful duo of Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. They come to the West with a strong squad along with the potential to break the bookies.”
One of the biggest days in the Irish Racing calendar, this event is also an unmissable day out for fashion lovers.
Thursday, July 28th is when Ladies day takes place this year.
Some stunning fashion will be on display and this year, there is a €13,000 cash bonanza on offer for the Best Dressed Lady Competition, generously sponsored by The Connacht hospitality Group.
The first of eight national hunt races takes place at 2.10pm. Thursday features the much sought after Galway Hurdle Handicap race with an impressive prize fund of €250,000 on offer.
RTE will be showing coverage of the festival from Monday-Thursday, with streaming available via the RTE Player.
TG4 will be providing live coverage of the festival on Friday and Saturday, with streaming available via the TG4 website, player and sport app.
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