New sponsor for Galway Plate 

The Galway Plate, the feature event of the week long Festival at Ballybrit, will have a new sponsor this year, with William Hill coming on board.

John O'Donoghue, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, joined
Senior Executives from both Galway Races and William Hill, Europe's leading bookmaker, at a reception in the Westbury Hotel Dublin on Wednesday,  to announce a new five-year sponsorship of the Grade A William Hill Galway Plate which this year will take place on Wednesday, August 2.

The five year agreement covers the entire eight-race card on William Hill Galway Plate Day, including the Grade A €200,000 Galway Plate and ensures that prize money on the day will be approaching €2million over the five years.

Minister O'Donoghue said at today's announcement: "I am
delighted to announce that William Hill Bookmakers are to become the new sponsors for the Galway Plate.

"This sponsorship, which will help increase the value of the prize fund for the Galway Plate Day to approximately €2million over the next five years, will enhance the total prize money at one
of Ireland's premier race meetings.

"Galway Racing Festival is one of the highlights of the racing calendar in Ireland and has attracted record numbers in attendance and increased betting over the years.

"With the new capital development planned for the racecourse and this new sponsorship from William Hill for the feature race of the Festival, the Minister is confident that Galway Races will continue to grow and attract more and more racegoers from home and abroad."

Ray Rooney, Chairman of the Galway Race Committee said: "William Hill showed to us that they understood comprehensively our feelings regarding how the sponsorship of the Galway Plate would be handled. We are extremely impressed by their professionalism and their commitment to a minimum of fives years as sponsors.

"The Galway Committee has no doubt that William Hill will expand and enhance their reputation as blue chip participators in Irish racing by the manner in which they intend to contribute to the Galway Plate. The Committee and indeed all of racing are indebted to William Hill for this major commitment and their wonderful appreciation of William Hill Galway Plate Day."

Dennis Brosnan, Chairman, Horseracing Ireland said: "I am pleased to welcome William Hill's five year commitment to sponsor the entire card on Galway Plate Day. Galway is the jewel in the crown of the Irish racing year and a long term commitment such as this is a fitting endorsement of its product.

"Yet again in 2005 the Galway Festival created new national attendance and betting records and in July Horse Racing Ireland was pleased to approve grant aid to support the Galway Race Committee in their plans to develop a new €20million West Stand in time for the 2007 Festival."