Curragh Racecourse

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.

The Curragh
LocationThe Curragh County Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland
Coordinates53°9′55″N 6°50′43″W
Race typeThoroughbred Flat
Notable races
  • Irish 1,000 Guineas (G1)
  • Irish 2,000 Guineas (G1)
  • Irish Derby (G1)
  • Irish Oaks (G1)
  • Irish St. Leger (G1)
  • Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr1)
  • Phoenix Stakes (Gr1)
  • Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr1)
  • Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr1)
  • Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Gr1)
  • Flying Five Stakes (Gr1)
Official website

History
"The Curragh race course", a 19th-century print

The name "Curragh" comes from the Irish language word Cuirreach, meaning "place of the running horse".[1] The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727, but it was used for races before then.[2] The first Derby was held in 1866,[3] 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.[4]

Racing

The Curragh is a right-handed track,[5] horseshoe and galloping in nature with a testing uphill finish.[6] The track spans two miles in distance with a one-mile chute.[7] It is home to all five Irish Flat Classics.[8]

Johnny Murtagh has had more than 300 wins at the Curragh.
Top jockeyWinsRides %
Johnny Murtagh3301,94317
Mick Kinane3271,96817
Kevin Manning2562,60010
Pat Smullen2382,27510
Christy Roche16089118
Trainer A. P. O'Brien has had more than 600 wins at the course.
Top trainerWinsRuns %
A. P. O'Brien6093,26219
J. S. Bolger3913,55811
D. K. Weld3403,20311
John M. Oxx3302,32114
Kevin Predergast1962,3618

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,[9] 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.

2009 World Champion Sea The Stars trained on the Curragh by John Oxx
HorseTrainerJockeyRace WonYear
BallymossM. V. O'BrienT. P. BurnsIrish Derby1957
Meadow CourtP. J PrendergastL. PiggottIrish Derby1965
Sir IvorM. V. O'BrienL. WardNational Stakes1967
Nijinsky M. V. O'BrienL. WardIrish Derby1970
RobertoM. V. O'BrienJ. RoeNational Stakes1971
The MinstrelM. V. O'BrienL. PiggottIrish Derby1977
AllegedM. V. O'BrienL. PiggottRoyal Whip Stakes1977 & 1978
Storm BirdM. V. O'BrienT. MurphyNational Stakes1980
ShergarM. StouteL. PiggottIrish Derby1981
El Gran SenorM. V. O'BrienP. EdderyNational Stakes / Irish Derby1983/1984
Sadler's WellsM. V. O'BrienG. McGrathIrish 2,000 Guineas1984
Vintage CropD. K. WeldM. J. KinaneIrish St Leger1993/1994
SalsabilJ. DunlopW. CarsonIrish Derby1990
Rodrigo De TrianoP. Chapple HyamJ. ReidIrish 2,000 Guineas1992
St JoviteJ. BolgerC. RocheIrish Derby1992
Ridgewood PearlJohn OxxJ. P. MurtaghIrish 1,000 Guineas1995
Kayf TaraSaeed Bin SuroorFrankie DettoriIrish St Leger1998/1999
MontjeuJ. HammondCash AsmussenIrish Derby1999
SinndarJohn OxxJ. P. MurtaghNational Stakes / Irish Derby1999/2000
Hawk WingA. P. O'BrienM. J. KinaneNational Stakes2001
GalileoA. P. O'BrienM. J. KinaneIrish Derby2001
Vinnie RoeD. K. WeldP. J. SmullenIrish St Leger2001/2002/2003/2004
High ChapparalA. P. O'BrienM. J. KinaneIrish Derby2002
Rock of GibraltarA. P. O'BrienM. J. KinaneIrish 2,000 Guineas2002
AttractionMark JohnstonKevin DarleyIrish 1,000 Guineas2004
Ouija BoardEd DunlopL. DettoriIrish Oaks2004
DubawiSaeed Bin SuroorL. DettoriNational Stakes2004
George WashingtonA. P. O'BrienKieren FallonNational Stakes2005
Hurricane RunAndre FabreKieren FallonIrish Derby2005
TeofiloJ. S. BolgerKevin ManningNational Stakes2006
Dylan ThomasA. P. O'BrienKieren FallonIrish Derby2006
New ApproachJ. S. BolgerKevin ManningNational Stakes2007
YeatsA. P. O'BrienKieren FallonIrish St Leger2007
Halfway To HeavenA. P. O'BrienSeamus HeffernanIrish 1,000 Guineas2008
CamelotA. P. O'BrienJ. P. O'BrienIrish Derby2012
AustraliaA. P. O'BrienJ. P. O'BrienIrish Derby2014
KingmanJ. GosdenJames DoyleIrish 2,000 Guineas2014
MindingA. P. O'BrienSeamus HeffernanMoyglare Stud Stakes2015
WinterA. P. O'BrienRyan MooreIrish 1,000 Guineas2017
EnableJ. GosdenL. DettoriIrish Oaks2017
Alpha CentauriJessica HarringtonColm O'DonoghueIrish 1,000 Guineas2018

Notable races
Month DOW Race Name Type Grade Distance Age/Sex
March Sunday Park Express Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 3yo + f
April Sunday Gladness Stakes Flat Group 3 7f 3yo +
May Monday Athasi Stakes Flat Group 3 7f 3yo +
May Monday Mooresbridge Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 2f 4yo +
May Monday Tetrarch Stakes Flat Listed 7f 3yo only
May Saturday Ridgewood Pearl Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 4yo + f
May Saturday Irish 2,000 Guineas Flat Group 1 1m 3yo only
May Saturday Greenlands Stakes Flat Group 3 6f 3yo +
May Sunday Irish 1,000 Guineas Flat Group 1 1m 3yo only f
May Sunday Gallinule Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 2f 3yo only
May Sunday Tattersalls Gold Cup Flat Group 1 1m 2f 110y 4yo +
June Friday International Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 2f 3yo +
June Saturday Irish Derby Flat Group 1 1m 4f 3yo only
June Saturday Railway Stakes Flat Group 2 6f 2yo only
June Saturday Sapphire Stakes Flat Group 3 5f 3yo +
June Sunday Curragh Cup Flat Group 3 1m 6f 3yo +
June Sunday Pretty Polly Stakes Flat Group 1 1m 2f 3yo + f
June Sunday Balanchine Stakes Flat Group 3 6f 2yo only f
July Saturday Anglesey Stakes Flat Group 3 6f 63y 2yo only
July Saturday Minstrel Stakes Flat Group 3 7f 3yo +
July Saturday Irish Oaks Flat Group 1 1m 4f 3yo only f
July Sunday Kilboy Estate Stakes Flat Group 2 1m 1f 3yo + f
August Sunday Phoenix Sprint Stakes Flat Group 3 6f 3yo +
August Sunday Phoenix Stakes Flat Group 1 6f 2yo only
August Sunday Debutante Stakes Flat Group 2 7f 2yo only
August Sunday Royal Whip Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 2f 3yo +
August Saturday Futurity Stakes Flat Group 2 7f 2yo only
August Saturday Flying Five Stakes Flat Group 3 5f 3yo +
August Saturday Curragh Stakes Flat Listed 5f 2yo only
August Saturday Irish St Leger Trial Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 6f 3yo +
September Sunday Moyglare Stud Stakes Flat Group 1 7f 2yo only f
September Sunday Lanwades Stud Fillies' Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 1f 3yo + f
September Sunday Round Tower Stakes Flat Group 3 6f 2yo only
September Saturday Renaissance Stakes Flat Group 3 6f 3yo +
September Saturday Blandford Stakes Flat Group 2 1m 2f 3yo + f
September Sunday Vincent O'Brien Stakes Flat Group 1 7f 2yo only
September Sunday Solonaway Stakes Flat Group 2 1m 3yo +
September Sunday Irish St. Leger Flat Group 1 1m 6f 3yo +
September Sunday Weld Park Stakes Flat Group 3 7f 2yo only f
September Sunday Beresford Stakes Flat Group 2 1m 2yo only

Transport

Bus and coach

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 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.[10][11]

References
  1. "10 things you probably didn't know about the Curragh". IntoKildare.ie. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. Curragh.ie – About/History
  3. Sportsfile (September 2004). Sports Ticket: Live the Action!. Aesculus Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-904328-24-7.
  4. Field, The Irish. "NEWS: HRI announce 2019 fixture list". www.theirishfield.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  5. Sportsfile (September 2004). Sports Ticket: Live the Action!. Aesculus Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-904328-24-7.
  6. "The Complete Irish Racecourses Guide". www.horse4course-racetips.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. "Curragh Racecourse Guide". British Racecourses. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  8. "The Curragh | HRI". www.goracing.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  9. "The Curragh Racecourse".
  10. Ayres, Bob (2003). "Irish Railway Stations" (PDF). Railscot. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
  11. "Curragh". eiretrains.com. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
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