Fairyhouse Racing Today: Racecards, Results and Fixtures

Today

This page has today's race card, live results, upcoming fixtures and our racing tips, along with a full guide to the County Meath track that hosts the Irish Grand National.

Set just outside Ratoath, about 25 km north-west of Dublin city centre, the course stages around 20 meetings a year across both codes. National Hunt racing is the main event, from the Winter Festival in late November to the Easter Festival in spring.

Fairyhouse Racecards for Today

The Fairyhouse race card today shows every runner and rider along with recent form, the latest odds and race times. It updates from final declarations right up to the off, so non-runners and going changes show as soon as they're announced.

Fairyhouse race results are added as each race is settled, and tomorrow's Fairyhouse race card appears once declarations close.

Fairyhouse Racing Fixtures 2026

The jumps season returns to Fairyhouse in October and builds towards the Winter Festival at the end of November. Here are the remaining Fairyhouse race meetings for 2026:

Fairyhouse Racing Tips

If you're looking for Fairyhouse racing tips for today, here are some general tips to keep in mind for the track:

• Don't take the fences lightly: Fairyhouse is easy to ride, but its fences are among the stiffest in Ireland. Inexperienced novice chasers often get found out, so a solid jumping record is a big advantage in beginners' and novice chases.
• Expect a fair race over jumps: The wide, galloping, right-handed circuit of about 1m 6f rarely produces hard-luck stories. Horses can win from the front or from off the pace, so focus on form and class rather than racing style.
• Back prominent racers on the Flat: The Flat course is level and fair, but horses that race close to the pace have the edge. Over shorter trips, hold-up horses drawn low can get stuck on the rail in the straight.
• Make sure they see out the finish: The home straight is about two and a half furlongs long and climbs slightly to the line. That's usually enough to find out horses that are only just getting the trip, especially on soft winter ground.
• Trust the favourites in non-handicaps: Favourites have won about 41% of National Hunt non-handicaps at Fairyhouse. That's a strong record, so in maiden and graded races the market is usually a reliable guide.
• Follow Mullins and Townend: Willie Mullins has trained more than 400 National Hunt winners at Fairyhouse. Over the last three seasons, Paul Townend has won with 35% of his chase rides and 37% of his hurdle rides here. Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy are also regular winners at the track.
• Check the going in midwinter: Fairyhouse can be affected by wet weather, and the ground often turns soft or heavy during the winter. Check the latest going report before racing, especially at the November and December meetings.

Fairyhouse Race Track Guide

The Fairyhouse race track is a wide, right-handed circuit of about one mile and six furlongs. It's almost square in shape, so the bends are fairly sweeping. The far side climbs steadily before a steady run downhill along the back straight, and the home straight is about two and a half furlongs long, rising slightly to the finish.

Over jumps, there are 11 fences and eight hurdles per circuit, with a run-in of about a furlong after the last fence. On the Flat, the course is level and galloping, with no tricky cambers to catch horses out. Fairyhouse is generally seen as a fair test that doesn't suit any one type of horse in particular.

Draw and Ground

Over jumps, there's no draw at Fairyhouse, and the wide track means horses rarely get badly boxed in. On the Flat, the draw matters less than at many Irish tracks. Over shorter trips, though, low-drawn horses that are held up can get trapped on the rail in the straight, so prominent runners have a better chance.

The ground at Fairyhouse is usually good to yielding or yielding at the start of the jumps season in October, then turns soft or heavy through the winter. The Easter Festival is often run on better ground. Very wet spells can lead to inspections, so it's worth checking the latest course updates on race days with a poor forecast.

The Irish Grand National and Easter Festival

The Irish Grand National has been run at Fairyhouse since 1870 and is the richest jumps race in Ireland. It's run on Easter Monday as the highlight of the three-day Easter Festival. As a big-field handicap chase over about three miles and five furlongs, it always attracts plenty of interest in the betting.

In 2026, the race was won by Soldier In Milan, ridden by Donagh Meyler and trained by Emmet Mullins, who also trained Noble Yeats to win the Aintree Grand National in 2022. Showurappreciation finished second and The Enabler third.

Over the rest of the Easter weekend, there's a big-value handicap hurdle on the Saturday and two Grade 1 races on the Sunday, the Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle and the Gold Cup Novice Chase.

The Winter Festival

The Winter Festival, on the last weekend of November, is the first major Grade 1 meeting of the Irish jumps season. The Hatton's Grace Hurdle and the Drinmore Novice Chase are the two Grade 1 races, while the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle is often an early trial for the big spring festivals. Leading horses from the Mullins, Elliott and de Bromhead yards often start their season here.

Weekend tickets for the Winter Festival cost €40, and there are group discounts and food-and-drink bundles. On festival days, there are buses from Dublin city centre and a free shuttle from the M3 Parkway train station.

History

Fairyhouse held its first race meeting in 1848, and the Irish Grand National moved there in 1870. Some of the greatest jumpers in history have raced at the course, including Arkle, Desert Orchid, Prince Regent and Hurricane Fly. L'Escargot, who famously beat Red Rum in the 1975 Aintree Grand National, also raced at Fairyhouse.

Powers Whiskey started sponsoring racing at Fairyhouse in 1960, which became the longest sponsorship in Irish racing. Fairyhouse is now owned by Horse Racing Ireland and has some of the most modern facilities in the country. It has also hosted big music events, including the first three Witness festivals between 2000 and 2002.

Top Trainers and Jockeys at Fairyhouse

Willie Mullins is by far the most successful National Hunt trainer at Fairyhouse, with 418 winners (22%). Gordon Elliott is second on 241, followed by Noel Meade on 159. On the Flat, Ger Lyons has trained the most winners, while Aidan O'Brien has the best strike rate among the leading trainers at 20%.

Ruby Walsh is still the leading National Hunt jockey at Fairyhouse with 152 winners. Paul Townend is just behind on 147, and he's likely to overtake Walsh soon. On the Flat, the late Pat Smullen and Colin Keane have both ridden more than 50 winners at the course. Source: IrishRacing.com.

Visiting Fairyhouse Racecourse

Fairyhouse Racecourse is in Ratoath, Co. Meath, about 25 km from Dublin city centre and 20 km from Dublin Airport. By car, take the M3 to Exit 5, then follow the R155 for about two miles. Parking is free, but it's worth arriving early on busy days. The nearest train station is M3 Parkway, reached from Dublin Connolly, and a free shuttle bus runs from there during the Winter and Easter Festivals.

Fairyhouse races tickets can be booked online, and there are bundle deals that include a racecard, food, a drink and a Tote bet. Children aged 14 and under go free with an adult. There's no strict dress code, so smart-casual clothes are fine in most areas. The Bobbyjo Bistro and private suites ask for smart dress.

Watching Fairyhouse Racing Live

Every Fairyhouse meeting is shown live on Racing TV, which covers all Irish racing in the UK and Ireland. The Irish Grand National is also shown on free-to-air TV in Ireland. Many bookmakers offer free live streams and race replays to customers who have a funded account or have placed a bet on the race.

Bookmakers for Fairyhouse Races

All the major UK and Irish bookmakers price up every race at Fairyhouse. Look for Best Odds Guaranteed on Irish racing, extra places on the Irish Grand National and the bigger handicaps, and non-runner no bet offers in the ante-post markets ahead of Easter.

Fairyhouse Racing FAQs

Is Fairyhouse racing on today?

Check the fixtures table above. If there's racing at Fairyhouse today, the race card and race times appear at the top of this page.

Where can I find Fairyhouse race results today?

Fairyhouse race results are added to this page as each race is settled, including the winners, placed horses and starting prices. Results from earlier meetings remain available afterwards.

Are the Fairyhouse races cancelled today?

Fairyhouse occasionally has to inspect or abandon meetings after heavy rain or frost in the winter. Any inspection or abandonment is shown on this page as soon as it's announced.

When is the Irish Grand National?

The Irish Grand National is run on Easter Monday every year at Fairyhouse as the highlight of the Easter Festival.

When is the Fairyhouse Winter Festival 2026?

The 2026 Winter Festival takes place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, and it features the Grade 1 Hatton's Grace Hurdle and Drinmore Novice Chase.

Is there flat racing at Fairyhouse?

Yes. Fairyhouse is mainly a jumps course, but it also stages Flat racing, mostly at the summer evening meetings. The Group 3 Brownstown Stakes in July is its biggest Flat race.

Is there a dress code at Fairyhouse races?

No. There's no strict dress code at Fairyhouse. Smart-casual clothes are recommended for the restaurant and private suites.

Can I watch Fairyhouse racing live?

Yes. Every Fairyhouse race is shown on Racing TV, and many bookmakers also offer live streams and race replays.