The Galway Summer Racing Festival is now recognised internationally as one of the premier racing events in Europe, renowned worldwide for its electric atmosphere, excellent racing and infectious sense of fun. Celebrities can be seen sipping champagne by the Champagne Tent, the most conservative of us will be heard above the crowd as the horses round the bend into the home stretch. The Galway Races is certainly a festival for everyone. The Festival runs for seven consecutive days starting from the last Monday in July each year. There are special race days at the Summer Festival which add fun and excitement to the event, such as Ladies Day and Mad Hatter's Day. A record number of people, 210,000, attended the Summer Festival Meeting in 2007 where betting turnover reached over €31 million. The total prize fund for the fifty-one sponsored races reached an impressive €1.9 million. If you fancy a flutter while at the course, there are various options for placing a bet at the Galway Races; the Tote, on-course betting shops and on-course bookmakers. This year's festival runs from 28th July up until 3rd August.
