Portmarnock Raceway features the first full Trotter race card for Ireland on Saturday 25th July to round off a four day visit to Ireland by the General Secretary of UET Mr. Jacques Chartier.
The Irish Harness Racing Association had hoped to secure to use of Dundalk Stadium to host this important meeting and have enlisted the support on the Minister for Agriculture Mr. Simon Coveney to ask the Board of Horse Racing Ireland to reconsider its decision to refuse permission for the use of this privately owned and publicly funded all weather racing venue.
In the absence of a decision to date the meeting will be hosted at Portmarnock in conjunction with the prestigious second round of the Ireland and Great Britain Inter Dominion series where the top eight free for all horses do battle to secure a place to travel to Perth in Australia to contest the series as the European representative in late November.
Equida the French Television racing channel will have a film crew in Ireland to cover proceedings at this important meeting over that weekend and other off site coverage of our trotting industry.
Entries are by open invitation to both Ireland and Great Britain, the prize money for Trotteur Francais horses is expected to be of the order of €2,500 per race with a €1000 to the winner. Provided sufficient entries are available there will be races for any remaining European Trotters also.
Sunday 26th will have a full supporting meeting subject to entries.
