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June 10, 2010

Exciting Line-up For Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival


The three day event will feature a combination of great sporting action, with high fashion, amazing food and fantastic entertainment.

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival will take place at the Curragh Racecourse from the 25th – 27th of June and the world famous festival promises to be one of the most spectacular sporting and fun events of the summer. Details were announced at a Summer Evening Party at The K Club on Wednesday evening (9th of June). A host of celebrities, trainers, jockeys and representatives of the world of fashion and entertainment were out in huge numbers to hear the exciting details of the forthcoming festival. 

Guests enjoyed a selection of delicious food courtesy of Good Food Ireland, who showcased a selection of delicacies which will be available to all race goers in the Good Food Ireland Village during the Festival. A variety of Good Food Ireland restaurants, hotels, food shops, cookery schools, cheese makers, artisan bakers, master smokers, chocolatiers and many more of Ireland's favourite artisan food producers will be on hand over all three days, while a number of cookery demonstrations will be scheduled between races with some of Ireland’s leading chefs.

The K Club prepared a special Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby cocktail and a summer blend punch which both went down very well with the assembled crowd.

This year Dubai Duty Free will celebrate its third year as title sponsor of the Irish Derby Festival.   The company, which is headed up by Galway native, Colm McLoughlin is now the largest single duty free operation in the world and a winner of over 160 international business, travel and retail awards.  Dubai Duty Free are bucking the global economic trend, the first quarter of 2010 signals the return of their consumers confidence with the retail operation announcing sales of over US$307 million, this represents a 21% increase over the same period last year.

Speaking about Dubai Duty Free’s involvement at the Curragh, Dubai Duty Free Managing Director, Colm McLoughlin said, “We are really looking forward to an exciting weekend of racing and entertainment, this year we are sponsoring one of the world’s most famous races in addition to four other races on the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day.  We are eager to strengthen tourism and business links between Ireland and Dubai and our continued sponsorship of the Irish Derby fits well with our global strategy of sports sponsorship.”

Ladbrokes was announced as the first ever official betting partner to the Festival and their PR Manager Hayley O’Connor was on hand to provide the latest betting information.

Ladbrokes.com Derby Friday kicks off the weekend of racing with a fun packed evening starting at 6.00pm with the featured Ballygallon Stud Stakes taking centre stage.   The legendary Irish Rock Group, The Saw Doctors will perform on a giant stage in the main enclosure after racing at 9pm.