The opening round of the Irish St Leger 2019 will get underway this weekend as the trap draw for the first round of the competition has taken place at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.
72 greyhounds will begin the event across 12 heats, all of which will take place on this Saturday’s card. The Leger is one of the most prestigious races in the Irish greyhound calendar and boasts a prize-fund of over €50,000.
The competition has been ran in Limerick since 1944 and the winner of this year’s competition will earn €30,000 for connections, a 20% increase on last year’s winning prize.
This year’s event will be sponsored by the ‘Friends of Limerick Greyhound Stadium’ group who have spearheaded a funding initiative which is proving very successful. This has enabled an increase in the top prize as well as new competitions of the Leger Cup and Leger Plate which will be ran on Leger final night depending on availability.
Racing Manager with Limerick Greyhound Stadium, Liam Kennedy, commented: “The Irish St Leger produces some of the highest quality greyhound racing in the country here in Limerick. The trap draw being made just makes the excitement even greater as the event draws nearer. The Irish St. Leger has been a tradition in the racing calendar here in Limerick, right from its very first run here in 1944 and we’re very proud to continue that tradition. Owners, trainers and racing fans alike are all looking forward to a thrilling four weeks of racing.”
Co-chair of the Friends of Limerick Greyhound Stadium group, Ger Garrihy, commented: “The Friends of Limerick Greyhound Stadium group was brought together by like-minded people who have a huge passion for our wonderful sport of greyhound racing here in Limerick. We are thankful to Limerick’s business community and the greyhound fraternity who have all pulled together for the cause. We look forward to another exciting renewal of the Leger, hot on the heels of a very successful Laurels in Cork. I would encourage one and all to come to the stadium over the next four weeks to enjoy a true highlight in the Irish greyhound racing calendar.”
Last year’s event was won by Blastoff Jet, for joint owner/trainer Philip Buckley in a time of 29.65 seconds. The Leger event is for open-class greyhounds and attracts the highest calibre of dogs from across Ireland and beyond.
The Irish St Leger competition will begin on Saturday, November 2nd at Limerick Greyhound Stadium and will run for four consecutive weeks, culminating in the event’s final being held on Saturday, November 23rd.
