The Curragh Racecourse is a flat racecourse in County Kildare, Ireland. The racecourse is home to Ireland’s five most important flat races, known as the Classics. Racing takes place 23 days each year from the end of March until late October. Guided tours of the venue are available outside of race days.
History
The name "Curragh" comes from the Irish language word Cuirreach, meaning "place of the running horse". The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727, but it was used for races before then.Curragh.ie – About/History The first Derby was held in 1866, and in 1868 the Curragh was officially declared a horse racing and training facility by act of parliament.
Racecourse redevelopment
Redevelopment of the Curragh grandstand and racecourse facilities began in 2017 with completion due in time for commencement of the 2019 Irish Flat season. A truncated racing fixture list continued to be held at the course during this period with temporary facilities in place for the public.
Racing The Curragh is a right-handed track, horseshoe and galloping in nature with a testing uphill finish. The track spans two miles in distance with a one-mile chute. It is home to all five Irish Flat Classics. Top jockey Wins Rides % Johnny Murtagh 330 1,943 17 Mick Kinane 327 1,968 17 Kevin Manning 256 2,600 10 Pat Smullen 238 2,275 10 Christy Roche 160 891 18
Top trainer Wins Runs % A. P. O'Brien 609 3,262 19 J. S. Bolger 391 3,558 11 D. K. Weld 340 3,203 11 John M. Oxx 330 2,321 14 Kevin Predergast 196 2,361 8
Training grounds The Curragh training grounds provide trainers with the opportunity to prepare their horses on approximately 1,500 acres of training facilities. In addition to 70 miles of turf gallops, there are approximately 12 miles of peat gallops and eight all-weather tracks available to work on. The Curragh refurbished and resurfaced all of the all-weather gallops between 2020 and 2021. The Old Vic woodchip gallop over 9-furlongs on the Curragh is Ireland’s most popular all-weather gallop and a proven test of a racehorse.
Previous champion horses Numerous elite level racehorses have run at the course prior to becoming multiple Group One winners around the world. Due to the fair nature of the track, the course has a reputation for attracting high quality two-year old runners in particular, with many making their first racecourse appearances at the Curragh.
Horse Trainer Jockey Race Won Year Ballymoss M. V. O'Brien T. P. Burns Irish Derby 1957 Meadow Court P. J Prendergast L. Piggott Irish Derby 1965 Sir Ivor M. V. O'Brien L. Ward National Stakes 1967 Nijinsky M. V. O'Brien L. Ward Irish Derby 1970 Roberto M. V. O'Brien J. Roe National Stakes 1971 The Minstrel M. V. O'Brien L. Piggott Irish Derby 1977 Alleged M. V. O'Brien L. Piggott Royal Whip Stakes 1977 & 1978 Storm Bird M. V. O'Brien T. Murphy National Stakes 1980 Shergar M. Stoute L. Piggott Irish Derby 1981 El Gran Senor M. V. O'Brien P. Eddery National Stakes / Irish Derby 1983/1984 Sadler's Wells M. V. O'Brien G. McGrath Irish 2,000 Guineas 1984 Vintage Crop D. K. Weld M. J. Kinane Irish St Leger 1993/1994 Salsabil J. Dunlop W. Carson Irish Derby 1990 Rodrigo De Triano P. Chapple Hyam J. Reid Irish 2,000 Guineas 1992 St Jovite J. Bolger C. Roche Irish Derby 1992 Ridgewood Pearl John Oxx J. P. Murtagh Irish 1,000 Guineas 1995 Kayf Tara Saeed Bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Irish St Leger 1998/1999 Montjeu J. Hammond Cash Asmussen Irish Derby 1999 Sinndar John Oxx J. P. Murtagh National Stakes / Irish Derby 1999/2000 Hawk Wing A. P. O'Brien M. J. Kinane National Stakes 2001 Galileo A. P. O'Brien M. J. Kinane Irish Derby 2001 Vinnie Roe D. K. Weld P. J. Smullen Irish St Leger 2001/2002/2003/2004 High Chapparal A. P. O'Brien M. J. Kinane Irish Derby 2002 Rock of Gibraltar A. P. O'Brien M. J. Kinane Irish 2,000 Guineas 2002 Attraction Mark Johnston Kevin Darley Irish 1,000 Guineas 2004 Ouija Board Ed Dunlop L. Dettori Irish Oaks 2004 Dubawi Saeed Bin Suroor L. Dettori National Stakes 2004 George Washington A. P. O'Brien Kieren Fallon National Stakes 2005 Hurricane Run Andre Fabre Kieren Fallon Irish Derby 2005 Teofilo J. S. Bolger Kevin Manning National Stakes 2006 Dylan Thomas A. P. O'Brien Kieren Fallon Irish Derby 2006 New Approach J. S. Bolger Kevin Manning National Stakes 2007 Yeats A. P. O'Brien Kieren Fallon Irish St Leger 2007 Halfway To Heaven A. P. O'Brien Seamus Heffernan Irish 1,000 Guineas 2008 Camelot A. P. O'Brien J. P. O'Brien Irish Derby 2012 Australia A. P. O'Brien J. P. O'Brien Irish Derby 2014 Kingman J. Gosden James Doyle Irish 2,000 Guineas 2014 Minding A. P. O'Brien Seamus Heffernan Moyglare Stud Stakes 2015 Winter A. P. O'Brien Ryan Moore Irish 1,000 Guineas 2017 Enable J. Gosden L. Dettori Irish Oaks 2017 Alpha Centauri Jessica Harrington Colm O'Donoghue Irish 1,000 Guineas 2018
Notable races MonthDOW Race NameType GradeDistanceAge/SexSunday Park Express StakesFlat Group 33yo + fSunday Gladness StakesFlat Group 33yo +Monday Athasi StakesFlat Group 33yo +Monday Mooresbridge StakesFlat Group 34yo +Monday Tetrarch StakesFlat Listed3yo onlySaturday Ridgewood Pearl StakesFlat Group 34yo + fSaturday Irish 2,000 GuineasFlat Group 13yo onlySaturday Greenlands StakesFlat Group 33yo +Sunday Irish 1,000 GuineasFlat Group 13yo only fSunday Gallinule StakesFlat Group 33yo onlySunday Tattersalls Gold CupFlat Group 14yo +Friday International StakesFlat Group 33yo +Saturday Irish DerbyFlat Group 13yo onlySaturday Railway StakesFlat Group 22yo onlySaturday Sapphire StakesFlat Group 33yo +Sunday Curragh CupFlat Group 33yo +Sunday Pretty Polly StakesFlat Group 13yo + fSunday Balanchine StakesFlat Group 32yo only fSaturday Anglesey StakesFlat Group 32yo onlySaturday Minstrel StakesFlat Group 33yo +Saturday Irish OaksFlat Group 13yo only fSunday Kilboy Estate StakesFlat Group 23yo + fSunday Phoenix Sprint StakesFlat Group 33yo +Sunday Phoenix StakesFlat Group 12yo onlySunday Debutante StakesFlat Group 22yo onlySunday Royal Whip StakesFlat Group 33yo +Saturday Futurity StakesFlat Group 22yo onlySaturday Flying Five StakesFlat Group 33yo +Saturday Curragh StakesFlat Listed2yo onlySaturday Irish St Leger Trial StakesFlat Group 33yo +Sunday Moyglare Stud StakesFlat Group 12yo only fSunday Lanwades Stud Fillies' StakesFlat Group 33yo + fSunday Round Tower StakesFlat Group 32yo onlySaturday Renaissance StakesFlat Group 33yo +Saturday Blandford StakesFlat Group 23yo + fSunday Vincent O'Brien StakesFlat Group 12yo onlySunday Solonaway StakesFlat Group 23yo +Sunday Irish St. LegerFlat Group 13yo +Sunday Weld Park StakesFlat Group 32yo only fSunday Beresford StakesFlat Group 22yo only
Transport Bus On race days, there are free shuttle buses from Kildare railway station and the town square and from Newbridge town railway station and Main Street to The Curragh. Expressway also operates services from Dublin City centre to the racecourse on major race days.
Former railway stations The racecourse was once served by two railway stations: Curragh Mainline on the main Dublin–Cork line, which opened in 1846, and Curragh Racecourse at the end of a short branch to the grandstand, which opened in 1875. Curragh Racecourse station closed in 1977 and the branch was subsequently lifted, while Curragh Mainline fell into disuse in the early 2000s.
References
External links
Curragh.ie – Official site Pattern race calendar can on Horse Racing Ireland's site