Cork, Ireland – Inchadoney Beach is one of Irelands top “Blue Flag“ beaches and it will be transformed into a horse racing venue for the opening of the 2015 Cork Harness Racing season on Sunday,  May 17.

This picturesque setting on the famed Wild Atlantic Way will turn into a 1000 metre circuit when the tide is low.

With panoramic views from the backdrop of the rocky hills surrounding this famed venue, it will provide harness racing enthusiasts with a perfect start to the local season.

Following the lease agreement recently secured by the Irish Trotting and Harness Racing Federation (ITHRF) with the Duggan Family, the owners of the Manch Racing facility, it promises to be a year of top class racing in the region.

Promoters at Portmarnock Raceway have changed their programme to Friday evening (6.30pm) this week to avoid a clash with the beach racing in Cork and this will allow stables to have runners at both venues.

Due to tidal conditions racing will have a 12:00pm start which means members will be on site from early morning to prepare the sands for the racing.

With the success of the “Le Trot” French trotters program, it is hoped to stage two or possibly three trotters only races and the local population of imported horses has increased from two last year to ten this term and more owners are becoming interested in getting involved in the program.

There will of course be plenty of racing for the pacers which would have a far bigger population in Cork. With entries coming in thick and fast there could be as many as seven pacing contests from Maiden Grade right up to the top handicap grades.

The car park area adjacent to the beach will be reserved for horse trucks and trailers only. The access road will be a no parking area but there is ample free car parking in the Lodge and Spa Hotel (one of our sponsors) which is only a two minute walk from the track.

So despite the early start it promises to be a fantastic days fare at our own amphitheatre, that is Inchadoney Beach and patrons are reminded to respect the beach which is a public facility.

But for one day the front beach at Inchadoney will become our “Field of Dreams” and from the movie of the same name came the famous lines “build it and they will come, they will come from near and far not knowing why but for the love of…”

Racing once again has a 12 pm start time because “Time nor Tide waits for no man”.

By Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink.com