Horse racing is absolutely huge in Ireland, and many horse racing fans across the globe consider the Emerald Isle to be the main country for this sport. Not only is this small country of ours responsible for breeding some of the best racing horses the world has ever seen, but we are also the home of to some of the best jockeys and trainers. Therefore, it can come as no great surprise to find out that there are some amazing horse racing events that happen regularly in Ireland each year, and these is what we shall take a look at in this article.
Betting on Horse Racing in Ireland
Before we jump right in and start discussing the major horse racing events in Ireland, we would just like to spend a few minutes talking about horse racing gambling in the Republic of Ireland. Us Irish love to bet on sports, this is no secret. However, something you might not be aware of is the fact that we spend more on horse racing betting than we do on any other type of sport. Yeah, that is correct, we bet more money on horse racing each year than we do on popular sports such as football and cricket.
Why is it that horse racing betting has become so popular? Well, to start with, it probably has a lot to do with entertainment value. For example, if you are watching a football match and you support one of the teams that is playing, then you will have an emotional attachment to the game as you want one team to win. However, when it comes to horse racing, you will not usually support a particular horse. Therefore, you can improve the entertainment levels by putting your hard-earned cash on a horse to win.
Another reason why we love to bet on horse racing is that there is a lot of money to be won if you are able to predict the winner. The favourites in horse racing will still have pretty high odds, which is not the case when it comes to other sports such as football. Therefore, if you put €5 on a horse and it is the favourite to win the race, you can still walk away with a nice profit.
Any respectable bookie that accepts Irish sports betting fans should provide more than enough different markets for Irish horse racing. There are plenty of sports betting sites out there that accept Irish punters, meaning it can sometimes be tricky to find the best online bookie for you. However, there are many comparison sites out there, such as betinireland.ie that we linked to, that can help you find the best one for you.
Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival
In England there is the Cheltenham Festival and in Ireland there is the Punchestown Festival. This festival happens every year right after the Cheltenham Festival and also has a number of great races such as the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Punchestown Gold Cup, and the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle. The action begins on a Tuesday and runs until Saturday, giving horse racing betting fans plenty of betting action. When you have been to this festival once, you will be itching to go again the following year.
The Curragh Irish Derby Festival
This is, without doubt, one of the most glamorous and prestigious horse racing events that takes place in Ireland. This is a three-day festival and is where the Irish Derby, the race with the biggest prize fund in Irish horse racing, takes place. The rich and famous from all over the globe come to enjoy this event. As well as fantastic horse racing, there is plenty of entertainment, fashion, and music to enjoy. Since it takes place in the summer months, you do not need to worry about putting on a load of layers. However, it is Ireland, so it might be wise to carry a small umbrella with you just in case the infamous Irish rain decides to rear its ugly head.
Galway Summer Festival
This is another meeting that takes place during the warmer summer months and it is the favourite meeting for many Irish horse racing fans. The Galway Summer Festival begins on the last Monday of July and lasts for seven days. It includes popular races such as the Galway Hurdle Handicap and the Galway Plate Chase Handicap. There is entertainment, fashion, and hospitality aplenty at this event, and more than 100,000 horse racing lovers attend it each year. You will definitely experience a fun time if you
The Listowel Harvest Festival
This is a 7-day racing festival that sees both National Hunt and flat action taking place. From all the races that are run over the course of a week, the Kerry National Chase handicap, that takes place on the Wednesday, is considered by most to be the main attraction. There are plenty of other types of entertainment available at this festival, so getting bored is something that is definitely not on the cards. This really is a great place to go for a fun family day out.
Fairyhouse Easter Festival
This horse racing meeting is one that avid horse racing fans look forward to the most, especially since the Irish Grand National takes place on the second day of the festival. This particular race is popular all over the world, not just in Ireland and it has certainly produced some memorable horse racing moments over the years. Many who go to this festival say that they have never experienced an atmosphere like it anywhere else, and we happen to agree with this. When you have been to this racing event, every other horse racing event that you go to after will pale in comparison.
