Oisin Murphy set to ride in his native Kerry for first time as Listowel reports 'fantastic' interest in harvest festival

Listowel kicks off its seven-day harvest festival on Sunday, with chairman Pat Healy describing interest in the 2024 meeting as 'fantastic' and Kerry native and three-time British champion jockey Oisin Murphy due to ride in his county for the first time on Tuesday's card.

The feature race of the week comes on Wednesday when the track plays host to the €200,000 Kerry National in which the first two home in the Galway Plate, Ash Tree Meadow and Authorized Art, could renew rivalry along with the likes of Ain't That A Shame and Stumptown.

Healy said: "Ticket sales have been fantastic all through the last couple of weeks. People are looking for accommodation and we’re looking forward to welcoming new patrons. The town of Listowel is excited and I think we are one of the last real community race meetings. 

"A lot of people and business depend on Listowel races to carry them through the winter, it’s worth about €15 million to the North Kerry economy. People stay in Ballybunion, Tralee and Killarney so it’s a huge economic boost to the area.

"We have the first two home in the Galway Plate and last year's Munster National runner-up Ain't That A Shame so it looks like it could be a great renewal of the Kerry National. It’s our highlight race of the week and worth €200,000. Hopefully Fergal O’Brien will send over Captain Cattistock, which would be fantastic. I’m always surprised that more British horses don’t come to the festival.

Students enjoy the atmosphere at the Listowel harvest festivalCredit: Patrick McCann

"We have two Flat days and I think more festivals in Ireland should have mixed cards. Galway does it and I can’t understand why the likes of ourselves, Killarney, Tramore and Bellewstown can’t do it. They would benefit from mixed cards and I think that’s what people want."

Tuesday's Flat card is set to attract big crowds given the track will welcome students from Limerick and Tralee, while Murphy will ride for the first time in his native county.

"We are delighted to get Oisin Murphy," said Healy. "We were hoping to get Frankie on the agreement we had last year but that fell through. I said there was only one man to call then and Oisin said he would be delighted. We'll have 500 students as well from Tralee and Limerick on the Tuesday. 

"Oisin has never ridden in Killarney or Listowel so it will be his first time riding in his home county. He was telling me it’s a dream come true as he used to come racing at Listowel with his mother Marie back in the day and after racing he used to run around the track pretending [to ride]. The biggest mountain any Flat jockey can climb is to be champion jockey in Britain and he is coming back a three-time champion jockey.

"We have introduced a theme for every day the last couple of years. Sunday is family day, Monday is blue jeans day, Tuesday is student day, Wednesday is Kerry National day, Thursday is best-dressed man day, Friday is best-dressed lady day and we have a vintage competition on Saturday."

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