It was announced today that Connolly’s RED MILLS will sponsor the stable staff yard canteen each day of the 2022 Punchestown Festival from Tuesday 26th to Saturday 30th April.

Their support will ensure that the hard working yard teams will enjoy a complimentary selection of hot dishes, sandwiches, snacks, pastries, tea and coffee throughout their Festival day.

The €75,000 RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Series Final will be the second race on Punchestown Gold Cup Day, Wednesday 27th April. Now in its fourth year this series was designed to create opportunities for horses bought for €45,000/£30,000 or less at store sales in Ireland and the UK, thereby, giving owners and trainers an opportunity to claim some of the €355,000 prize-money on offer.

To enter the €75,000 final at the Punchestown Festival, horses must have run in one of the thirteen qualifiers and have not won a Listed race or a Grade 1, 2 or 3 race.

Gareth Connolly, CEO of Connolly’s RED MILLS, said: “This has been a long time coming and we’re delighted for the team at Punchestown that they’ll be welcoming back racegoers to this year’s highly-anticipated Festival.

"This is the fourth year that Punchestown will host the €75,000 RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Series Hurdle Final but only the second time in front of a crowd and it will be great to have the crowds and connections back to savour the occasion.

"We appreciate that these are challenging times and are committed to continuing our industry support and hope to demonstrate this further during the festival though our stable staff canteen sponsorship and yard promotions. We plan to recognise and shine a light on the skills and commitment of the stable staff, who are the backbone of the industry and work tirelessly to provide the best care for the horses that we get to enjoy watching out on the track.

"The festival being five days can make it a very long week for stable staff, with early starts and late finishes and we’ll be working with the team at Punchestown to ensure they are well catered for in the stable yard.”

Leona Hughes, Punchestown Sponsorship Coordinator, welcomed the Connolly’s Red Mill’s initiative: “To put on a show like the Punchestown Festival takes a huge team of people and we consider everyone working hard behind the scenes be it in the yard, on the track, in the TV crews or catering teams to be part of one big production crew.

"Festival days are long and we see the horseboxes pulling in from mid-morning having travelled a distance. We see those same horseboxes leaving well after the last race. To perform to your best you need to be nourished and hydrated and we thank RED MILLS for stepping up and taking on the stable yard canteen sponsorship. Having provided nutrition for horses for so long it is an ideal fit that they now help nourish those who look after them.”