'We hope this will be a fitting tribute to honour her legacy' - Marble Hill Stakes to be run in memory of Theresa Marnane

The Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend will be run in honour of the late Theresa Marnane, the beloved breeder and owner who died last December.

Theresa, along with her husband Con and daughters Amy and Olivia, was behind the hugely successful Bansha House Stables, whose prowess as breeze-up practitioners is unparalleled.

Last year Bansha House breeze-up graduate Givemethebeatboys carried Theresa's distinctive yellow and black silks to victory in the Group 3 contest, sponsored by Gain, and other top-class juveniles have included Futurity Trophy winner Palace Episode and Different League, successful in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Marnane family has produced Group 1 winners including Sands Of Mali, Fleeting Spirit, Amadeus Wolf and Rio De La Plata at the breeze-up sales, and both the Curragh and Gain felt naming the race in Theresa's honour was a fitting way of remembering the hugely popular and much-missed figure.

Givemethebeatboys and Shane Foley land the Marble Hill StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Announcing the news, Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of the Curragh, said: “Theresa was a much loved and dearly missed member of the Irish bloodstock community. The Curragh, in association with Gain, is delighted to be able to run one of our most prestigious races for juveniles in her memory, a race which was won last year by the Marnane family-owned Givemethebeatboys. 

"We look forward to welcoming Con, Amy, Olivia, their extended family and many friends to the races.” 

Philip Gilligan, Irish Country Manager, Gain Equine Nutrition, added: “On behalf of the team at Gain, we are delighted to offer our support and run the 2024 Gain Marble Hill Stakes in honour and memory of Theresa Marnane, whose delight at the victory of Givemethebeatboys in last year’s race is a lasting memory for the family.

"We hope this will be a fitting tribute to honour her legacy to the bloodstock and racing industry."

Previous winners of the six-furlong Group 3 contest include subsequent Group 1 stars Caravaggio, Siskin, Fairyland and Blackbeard. The 2024 race will take place on Saturday, May 25.

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