The Best Horse Races to Watch in Galway

Horse racing has been a part of the culture of County Galway, Ireland, since as far back as the 13th century. Events at the Galway Races commenced in 1864 and it has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most well known racetracks in the world.

These days thousands of people gather on the stands to watch the races and many also enjoy online horse betting. If you want to get up close to some of the best events in the horse racing calendar then Galway is the place to be.

The track at Galway hosts races on 12 days of the year, with five individual events taking place between September and October and a week-long festival each summer. Here is more information on the famous racecourse and the best horse races to watch in Galway:

Galway Races

Located 6km from Galway city, Galway racecourse is situated in Ballybrit townland. The course is right handed and one mile, three furlongs in length. 

Besides racing, the venue is also famous for hosting a visit from Pope John Paul II in 1979. The event attracted a crowd of more than 280,000 to Ballybrit at the time and an anniversary mass with 5000 attendees was held in 2005 in celebration of 25 years since the papal visit.

The Galway Festival Races

In Ireland, the Galway Festival is the principal event in the racing calendar. The 2024 event will take place between July 29 and is one of the longest racing meets to take place in the country. 

The busiest day is often the Wednesday, as this is when the Galway Plate commences, followed by Ladies Day on the Thursday when the Galway Hurdle is run. The festival draws more than 150,000 spectators from around Ireland and the rest of the world and has now been running for 154 years.

These are some of the top racing events that take place during the festival week:

Galway Plate

The Galway Plate, a steeplechase, is open to horses aged four and above and is the National Hunt Chase for Ireland. The distance extends over two miles and six and a half furlongs, and there are 14 fences spaced out at different intervals along the track. It is a handicap race meaning the horses will carry the appropriate amount of weights.

The most successful horse in the history of this race was named Tipperary Boy, he won three times in 1899, 1901 and 1902. Last year, the race was won by Ash Tree Meadow, aged seven, and jockey Danny Gilligan. 

Galway Hurdle

The Galway Hurdle is also open to horses aged four and above, it is a National Hunt Hurdle race that is run over a distance of two miles. Now sponsored by Guinness, the race has been a part of the festival since 1913.

The winner of last year’s Galway Hurdle was Zarak The Brave, aged just four years old, and jockey Paul Townend. 

Others to look out for include:

• Monday – The Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap
• Tuesday – Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap
• Thursday – The Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Steeplechase

Autumn Races

The first meeting in the Autumn calendar at Galway takes place on the Autumn National Hunt Raceday. This year the meeting will be on Monday, September 9 until Tuesday, September 10. There are seven races on the first day and a further eight on the second.

In the following month of October, racing fans will once again gather for the October National Hunt. Gates open at noon with the first of the seven races commencing at 1:50pm.

Finally, to finish off the racing season is the three day October Racing festival between Saturday October 26 and Monday October 28. The second day is Race in Pink day in aid of The National Breast Cancer Research Institute. Monday is Student raceday, which quickly sold out in 2023, a return bus is run from the University of Galway for this event. 

For those looking for a more prestigious experience, the Autumn hospitality package is available to reserve for race days. It includes admission and race card, as well as car parking, access to the Panoramic Restaurant with its fabulous track views and four course lunch. There is also access to a cash bar, private betting facility and a reserved table for the day.

It is recommended that tickets to races be purchased in advance, although you can still purchase them at the ticket office on the day if space is available. Galway is an excellent place to visit for the races and betting on these events is popular both in Ireland and further afield.