Down Royal plans for final 2021 fixture

Boxing Day is one of the most popular fixtures in Down Royal’s calendar and has become a hugely popular tradition for people who are looking for a fun day out and some fresh air following the Christmas Day festivities.

Down Royal racegoers are delighted to have racing back in action with crowds returning to pre-Covid capacity levels at the recent two-day Ladbrokes Festival of Racing. So much so, that the Boxing Day fixture is proving extremely popular with hospitality packages already sold out.

Emma Meehan, Chief Executive at Down Royal Racecourse said: “This year has been quite the journey for everyone and we were delighted to bring racing back to the general public following the restrictions brought about by the pandemic.

“It was heart-warming to see Down Royal back to full capacity for the Festival of Racing and with an action-packed racecard expected for Boxing Day, we are encouraging punters to book their tickets in advance as there will be no ticket sales at the gate on 26th December.”

Metcollect, the largest cable recycler in Northern Ireland, will take on feature sponsorship of the meeting on Boxing Day which includes The Metcollect Handicap Steeplechase.

Geoff Angus, Managing Director of Metcollect said: “We are delighted to renew our sponsorship with Down Royal which provides the team at Metcollect with the opportunity to promote our business to a diverse audience and at the same time be part of an extremely exciting sport.

“We’re looking forward to a fantastic family day out on Boxing Day and to developing our relationship with Down Royal going forward into 2022.”

Emma Meehan continued: “Without our sponsors, it would not be possible for us to put on such top-quality racing for our punters and we are grateful to Metcollect for their continued support of our Boxing Day fixture.

“We are heading into 2022 with gusto and the overarching objective to provide memorable and social experiences for businesses and sports people alike. It’s going to be an even bigger and better year for horse racing in Northern Ireland.”