FOOTBALL GOES RACING AT LEOPARDSTOWN

Saturday, 8th July 2006

Due to the huge success of last year, MasterCard Football Furlong is back and again brings together two of Ireland’s great sporting passions – football and racing. Last year there was a recorded attendance of 6,200 people here at Leopardstown.

In the six Football Furlong races each jockey will be racing in the shirt colours of the 20 English Premiership football clubs in the 2006/2007 season.  The results of each race will be compiled into a league points system culminating over the six races with the winning club receiving the perpetual MasterCard Football Furlong Trophy.

The inaugural Football Furlong event was held at Haydock Park Racecourse in 2004 to huge acclaim and the concept is based on the long established and strong relationship between racing and football with past and present players including Niall Quinn, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Sir Alex Ferguson, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler and Kevin Keegan all owning racehorses. The event is specifically designed to help attract new audiences to racing and the longer term ambition of Football Furlong is to expand the event around the world, targeting football and racing loving countries such as Dubai, Hong Kong and China. In the next five years it is hoped that Football Furlong will take place in all five continents of the world.

SO WEAR YOUR FOOTBALL COLOURS… Whether you’re a Man United, Liverpool or Chelsea fan, we ask all racegoers to WEAR the SHIRT of their preferred CLUB to be in with a chance to WIN wonderful prizes on the night.

First race is off at 5.50pm and the last race is 8.50pm, followed by a celebrity penalty shootout.

As well as a great evening’s racing, MasterCard Football Furlong will also feature live music from The Walls after racing.