What are the biggest horse races in Ireland?

Experience the thrill of Irish horse racing! Explore the top races, legendary champions, and the allure of this beloved sport

Ireland has a rich horse racing history, which is why the sport is so popular on the Emerald Isle today. It is home to some of the biggest Flat and National Hunt races in the world, with the best thoroughbreds, jockeys, and trainers all featuring here.

Here is a look at some of those major races and where they take place across the country.

Irish Derby – Curragh Racecourse

The Irish Derby is the biggest Flat race of the year in Ireland. It takes place at the Curragh in County Kildare in June or July, and it attracts the leading three-year-olds in the sport.

Just like the English Derby at Epsom, the winner of this race is seen as one of the best of their generation.

In 2023, Auguste Rodin became the latest winner of the one-mile-and-four-furlongs contest (1m4f). He became the 19th horse in history to win the English and Irish Derby double.

His next assignment will now come in the United States. The Curragh hero is the 3/1 favourite in the latest odds on racing for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

With €1 million in prize money, horse racing trainers will already be considering the 2024 Irish Derby for their best juveniles, hoping they can add their name to the famous roll of honour at the Curragh.

See where the Curragh ranks in our article on the biggest Irish horse racing events not to be missed.

Irish Gold Cup – Leopardstown Racecourse

The Dublin Racing Festival is a National Hunt meeting in February that takes place a month before the Cheltenham Festival. The feature race of the meeting is the Irish Gold Cup. It is the biggest Jumps race of the season on the Irish National Hunt calendar.

This race takes place over three miles (3 mi), and it is a chase contest, which means those involved jump fences. Leopardstown Racecourse, situated eight kilometres south of Dublin, is the home of the annual contest.

The atmosphere during the Dublin Racing Festival is known to be electric, as racing fans know they are seeing the best jumpers in the sport.

A recent spectacle at Leopardstown was when Galopin Des Champs came out on top in the Irish Gold Cup before winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup a month later.

Irish Champion Stakes – Leopardstown Racecourse

In September, Irish Champions Weekend is one of the highlights on the international Flat calendar. The Irish Champions Stakes, won impressively in 2023 by Auguste Rodin, is one of several Group One contests across the two days at Leopardstown.

This one-mile-and-two-furlongs (1m2f) race often sees the leading three-year-old horses take on the older horses in a clash of generations.

Three-year-olds have an excellent record as they receive a weight advantage over the more experienced runners in the field.

The winner of this race receives an automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has dominated it since the turn of the century, as he has been successful a record 12 times.

Enjoy your next visit to an Irish racecourse. If it is to one of the above three events, you are set for a treat.