Ireland is renowned for its horse racing events. Not only does the sport bring sophistication with its prestige competitions and impressive talent, but it also gives punters the opportunity to make a profit based on both their luck and prior knowledge. Read on below to discover the biggest events across Ireland, as well as their history, format, and betting tips.
The Galway Races Summer Festival
The Galway Festival is a remarkable horse racing event in Ireland. It is held in Ballybrit at the Galway Racecourse, a scenic location for the competition. The festival is one week long, and takes place every year on the last Monday of July. The next Galway Festival will be between Monday 28th July and Sunday 3rd August 2025.
There are many things to look forward to regarding the festival. Firstly, of course, there are different themes every day, as well as notable races:
- Monday (Opening Day): Connaught Hotel QR Handicap
- Tuesday (80’s Night): Colm Hotel QR Handicap
- Wednesday (Country Day): The Galway Plate
- Thursday (Ladies’ Day): The Galway Hurdle
- Friday (Most Stylish): The Guinness Handicap
- Saturday (The Weekender): The BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle
- Sunday (Mad Hatters Day): The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap
Altogether, there are 52 races during the festival and there is a total prize pot of €2 million. Depending on the race, the winners can receive thousands in prize money.
BoyleSports are the current sponsor of the festival, which means that they are a great bookmaker to use for the competition. They have giveaways where you can win tickets, and promotions like enhanced odds, and money-back specials.
The Irish Derby Festival
The Irish Derby Festival is a Group 1 flat horse race that takes place in the mid-summer season. The next competition will be held on the 27th June 2025 and last until the 29th June 2025 at the Curragh Racecourse in Country Kildare. It is a festival consisting of nine races; betting on the Irish Derby Festival is ideal for punters who prefer shorter competitions. The format is as follows:
- Day 1 (Opening Day): Evening races, live performances
- Day 2: Group 1 Races, Group 2 Races, Ladies Derby, and a stylish fashion competition
- Day 3 (Last Day): Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (most famous race), and Group 2 Race
So, it is worthwhile betting on the Irish Derby Festival? Many racing betting sites like Scs racing offer lucrative bonuses such as No-Runner No Bet (stakes returned if the horse you are backing is declared a non-runner) and Best Odds Guaranteed (you are offered the best odds out of the initial odds when you placed the bet and the starting price). Usually, this applies for all UK and Irish horse races.
Dublin Racing Festival
The Dublin Racing Festival is a relatively new event, that began in 2018. Nevertheless, traction quickly picked up and it has become one of the biggest horse racing competitions in Ireland. The next Dublin Racing Festival will be held on Saturday 1st February and Sunday 2nd February 2025, at the Leopardstown Racecourse.
There is a myriad of famous races that take place at the competition. This includes the prestigious Irish Champion Hurdle, which was started in 1950. Other notable races include the Irish Gold Cup which is a Group 1 National Hunt Steeplechase, The Dublin Chase, and the Arkle Novice Chase. There are 8 thrilling races over the weekend, with a combined prize pool of €2 million.
The main sponsor of the Dublin Racing festival is trustworthy Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, who famously sponsor the Irish Gold Cup. The betting site not only live streams the entire festival for its punters, but also have a unique promotion whereby you can bet on the Dublin Racing Festival and receive free bets for Cheltenham.
The Dingle Races
The Dingle Races will next be held over three days between the Friday 8th August to Sunday 10th August 2025, at the field in Ballintaggart. Overall, there are 20 races that take place, as well as 160 horses. As well as this, contenders compete for the €40,000 prize fund. There are a few main races that spectators gather for:
- Dawn Milk Dingle Derby
- Beenbawn Turn
- Slea Head Stakes
- Blasket Islands Cup
Furthermore, just like any horse races, there is more to expect than just the competition. There are decadent foods to sample, live musical performances, stands selling trinkets, and even bouncy castles! The atmosphere, warm weather, and exciting races make for an exciting weekend away.
BoyleSports are especially known for covering the Dingle Races, because they are an Irish-based betting site and therefore more likely to offer big bonuses. You can explore from the many engaging features such as bet builders, live streaming, enhanced odds, and free bets. If you are a new customer, you should also look out for the welcome bonus.