There will be an extra race at Dundalk on Wednesday night as a dozen would-be jockeys line-up for the Horseware Event Riders Challenge.
The race and its supporting hospitality package are part of this year’s fund-raising programme for the high-performance squad and the senior athletes’ journey to September’s World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.
Horse Sport Ireland’s eventing high-performance director Sally Corscadden, who won team bronze at the 1993 European eventing championships in Germany, is riding the probable favourite Water Sprite, one of three mounts supplied by Gordon Elliott.
Also riding for the record-breaking Co Meath trainer is Sarah Ennis who was the top-placed Irish rider when seventh at last year’s European championships in Poland. While race-riding is completely different from eventing, Ennis proved her fitness at Millstreet on Sunday when she rode five horses as the delayed national eventing season got under way.
Declan Cullen, who has been the main driving force behind the mile and a half race, partners the Gavin Cromwell-trained Siempre Amigos while Clare Lambert, who won a bumper at Limerick’s 2003 Christmas meeting on her only proper racecourse ride, will be legged up on to James McAuley’s charge Kerosin.
The Horseware Event Riders Challenge, which will be covered on attheraces, is the final race on the Dundalk card and is due to start at 9pm.
