Major coup for Listowel as Frankie Dettori is booked to ride at harvest festival

Listowel's harvest festival has been given a major boost with the news that Frankie Dettori has signed up to ride at the meeting for the first time.

It will be just the seventh Irish racecourse at which the superstar jockey has ridden during his career and officials at the Kerry venue expect his presence to give next month's meeting a shot in the arm as unrestricted crowds return for the first time since 2019.

Listowel chairman Pat Healy said victory in the All-Ireland gaelic football final for Kerry last month played an integral part in Dettori agreeing to visit the track, having previously made a promise to Healy in 2019.

Dettori will visit on Tuesday, September 20 for a card that features the Listed Edmond and Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes.

"It's fantastic news as this is something I've been trying to do for years," Healy said. "Listowel is my home track, and this is my final year as chairman. Frankie and I made a deal when he was riding at Killarney that the next time the Kerry footballers won the All-Ireland, he would come to Listowel.

Pat Healy (right): convinced Frankie Dettori to ride at Listowel next monthCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"On the day of the match when Kerry won, I texted him that he'd have to keep his promise. Fair play to him, we met at York last week, spoke about it and he's coming on the Tuesday."

The racing photographer added: "A few years ago Kerry got beaten by Dublin in the final and he kept an eye on it. He told us, 'I'll be coming when Kerry win the Sam Maguire Cup' – thankfully we didn't have to wait too long.

"There's been a buzz around the town this morning since the news broke, so hopefully people turn up and give him the reception he deserves. To have Listowel on his CV is a huge thing for us. I told him that his jigsaw of racecourses wouldn't be complete until he had a Listowel piece on it."

Healy has been encouraged by advance ticket sales for this year's festival. A total of 89,076 attending the seven-day bonanza when uncapped crowds were last permitted in 2019.

"There's been a steady flow all year long of tickets being bought," he said. "Since the Galway festival we've seen an increase of people booking up in advance. Frankie being here is a great boost and will compliment our first student day on the Tuesday. It's a massive deal for us."

After three terms as chairman, Healy will be succeeded by David Fitzmaurice in his Listowel role next year.

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