Leopardstown Racecourse, in association with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, have officially launched the inaugural British Irish Raceday with the British Ambassador, Dominic Chilcott.

This new historic event, which includes a new feature race, the King George V Cup, will take place on Friday, 7th June, 2013. Only competed for once in the past century, the winner of the 2013 feature race King George V Cup at Leopardstown will be presented with a perpetual cup, which is a copy of the original trophy, which has been specially created by Weir & Sons.
 
The King George V Cup race last took place in Leopardstown in 1911, when Daniel Moloney from Knocklong in County Limerick, the owner of the winning horse Kirk Bloom, was presented with The Farmer’s Royal Cup by King George V and Queen Mary. The original Farmer’s Royal Cup trophy has been safeguarded by generations of the Moloney family for the past 102 years, and this year, the family has kindly provided this famous cup to be competed for once again. Weir & Sons will exhibit the original Farmer’s Royal Cup in the window of its Grafton Street store from the 29th May until the race day, so racing enthusiasts, history lovers and the general public can get a glimpse of a treasured piece of the past.
 
Hosted in association with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, the King George V Cup marks the continuing importance of British-Irish relations across various sectors including sport, trade, culture and politics. Furthermore, the historic visit by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to Ireland in May 2011, marked the centenary of the last visit of a British monarch to Ireland, which was the Queen’s grandfather King George V in July 1911. The return of the King George V Cup to Leopardstown, in association with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce further recognises the strong racing ties of Ireland and the UK.
 
Speaking about the return of the King George V Cup, the great grandchildren of Daniel Moloney, Susan, Daniel and Ide, said “On behalf of the Moloney family, we are delighted to see The Farmer’s Royal Cup return to Leopardstown this year to mark its 125th anniversary. The King George V Cup race, which was one of the most important in the racing calendar in 1911, was won by Kirk Bloom, a horse owned by my great grandfather, Daniel Moloney. Daniel only decided to enter the race at the last minute, when a neighbour persuaded him, and to his amazement; Kirk Bloom defied the odds and won the race.’
 
Adding to this, Pat Keogh, CEO, Leopardstown Racecourse said; ‘For the past 125 years, Leopardstown has welcomed racing enthusiasts from across the world and numerous dignitaries and even royalty, with King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. The return of the King George V Cup to Leopardstown, with the help of the Moloney family, the British Irish Chamber of Commerce and Weird & Sons, is a momentous and historic occasion for all at Leopardstown including our many loyal supporters and regular visitors.”
 
For more information on the event visit www.leopardstown.com.