Galway Racing Today: Racecards, Results and Fixtures

No races today.

This page has today's race card, live results, upcoming fixtures and our racing tips, along with an in-depth guide to the home of Ireland's most famous summer festival.

Ballybrit sits just off the M6, about 6 km north-east of the city on Ireland's west coast. It hosts both Flat and National Hunt racing, and its seven-day summer festival draws more than 150,000 racegoers. It's also known for one of the most distinctive finishes in Irish racing, with a dip followed by a steep climb to the line.

Galway Racecards for Today

The Galway race card today shows every runner and rider, the draw for Flat races, 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.

Galway race results are added as each race is settled. During the summer festival, the race cards for every day of the week appear here once declarations close.

Galway Races Fixtures 2026

After the summer festival in late July and early August, Galway races again in September and October. The 2026 season ends with the three-day October Racing Festival over the bank holiday weekend. Here are the remaining Galway races for 2026:

The Sunday of the October festival is Race in Pink day, which raises funds for the National Breast Cancer Research Institute. Adult admission to the October meeting starts at around €10, and under-14s go free.

Galway Racing Tips

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

• Look for horses that handle the dip and climb: Galway is a right-handed circuit of just over 1m 2f. There's a sharp run downhill into a dip before the straight, then a steep climb to the finish. Horses that lose their balance coming down the hill or don't keep going up the climb rarely win here, so previous course form is very useful.
• Be close to the pace in the Plate and other chases: Over fences, the last two fences come up very close together in the dip, followed by a run-in of more than two furlongs. Horses that race prominently and jump well at speed have the advantage, which is why prominent runners have such a good record in the Galway Plate.
• Back low draws over 7f and 1m 100yds: On the Flat, the track's tight turns give low-drawn horses a slight advantage over seven furlongs and a mile and 100 yards. Big-field handicaps at the summer festival can be especially rough, so a good draw is a real help.
• Watch the going during festival week: The summer festival is often affected by rain, and the ground can change from good to soft or heavy over just a few days. Horses that handle a range of going are worth extra consideration, so check the going report every day of the festival.
• Follow the festival specialists: Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott target the summer festival every year. Over the last few seasons, Emmet Mullins has had the best strike rate over jumps at Galway (29%). Amateur rider Patrick Mullins has a remarkable record in bumpers and amateur races at the course.
• Favourites are reliable in non-handicaps, not handicaps: Favourites have won around 43% of Flat non-handicaps and 39% of National Hunt non-handicaps at Galway. In the big festival handicaps, though, the strike rate drops to around 22%, and big-priced winners are common.
• Respect the tight track: Galway is sharp unless the ground is testing, and the short home straight leaves little time to make up ground. Handy, nimble horses with a good turn of foot usually do better here than big, long-striding gallopers.

Galway Race Track Guide

The Galway race track at Ballybrit is a right-handed, roughly rectangular circuit of just over a mile and a quarter. The most distinctive feature is the sharp downhill run into the home turn, which drops into a dip before a steep climb of just over a furlong to the finish. The track is tight, with sharp bends, so it's a real test of balance as well as stamina.

The Chase Course

The chase course has seven fences per circuit, and the last two are set very close together in the dip at the bottom of the hill. After the final fence, there's a run-in of well over two furlongs, which includes the climb to the line. Many races are won and lost at those last two fences, so fluent, accurate jumping is essential.

The Hurdles and Flat Courses

The hurdles course runs inside the chase course, and the last hurdle is in the short home straight. It's sharper than the chase course and is home to the Galway Hurdle. The Flat track follows the same right-handed circuit, so a low draw and a handy racing position are more useful here than at most Irish tracks.

Draw and Ground

On the Flat, low draws have a slight advantage over seven furlongs and a mile and 100 yards, because of the tight bends early in the race. In big-field handicaps at the summer festival, wide-drawn horses can lose a lot of ground on the turns. Over jumps, there's no draw, but a good position close to the pace is just as important.

The ground at Ballybrit can change quickly. Summer rain often softens the going during festival week, and the October meeting is usually run on yielding or soft ground. Because the climb to the finish is so steep, soft ground makes Galway a much more demanding test of stamina than its sharp layout would suggest.

The Galway Races Summer Festival

The Galway Races Summer Festival runs for seven days, from Monday to Sunday, in late July or early August. It's one of the biggest events in the Irish sporting and social calendar.

The first Ballybrit festival was a two-day meeting in 1869, and it was gradually extended until it reached seven days in 1999. In 2026, it ran from 27 July to 2 August, and the 2027 festival takes place from 26 July to 1 August.

• Tote Galway Plate (Wednesday): First run in 1869, the Galway Plate is a handicap chase over about 2m 6½f, worth €270,000. In 2026, it was won by King Alexander at 20/1, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by 21-year-old Daniel King. It was Mullins's third Plate win.
• Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday): The Galway Hurdle is a handicap hurdle over about two miles, first run in 1913. In 2026, Putapoundinthejar won for Tony Martin, and Daniel King completed a big-race double in the same week. Willie Mullins has trained a record six winners of the race in the modern era.
• The Amateur Derby (Monday): The Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders' Handicap on opening night is known as the 'Amateur Derby' and is one of the most prestigious races for amateur riders in Ireland.
• The Galway Mile (Tuesday): The Mile Handicap on Tuesday is one of the festival's most competitive Flat races. In 2026, it was won by Orandi at 16/1, another winner for Tony Martin.

Willie Mullins trained 10 winners during the 2026 festival. The week also has a strong social side, with Ladies Day on Thursday, Friday's Most Stylish and the Mad Hatter's Family Fun Day on the final Sunday.

Ladies Day at the Galway Races

Ladies Day at the Galway Races is held on Thursday of the summer festival, the same day as the Galway Hurdle. It's one of the biggest fashion events in Ireland, and the Best Dressed Lady competition attracts entrants from all over the country. The 2027 Ladies Day will be held on Thursday 29 July.

Friday's Most Stylish competition extends the fashion theme into the following day. Racegoers usually go for smart summer outfits, hats and fascinators, but it's worth bringing a jacket or umbrella, as the weather in the west of Ireland can change quickly.

History

Organised race meetings in County Galway go back centuries, and a five-day meeting was held at Knockbarron, near Loughrea, in 1864. The first meeting at Ballybrit took place on Tuesday 17 August 1869, on land provided free of charge by Captain Wilson Lynch, and around 40,000 people attended.

The main race that day was a 2½-mile handicap chase won by Absentee. It became the Galway Plate, and Tipperary Boy remains the only horse to have won it three times.

Galway races were first broadcast on the radio in 1929 and on television in 1963. On 30 September 1979, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the racecourse in front of an estimated 280,000 people, and a statue marking the occasion now stands in the racecourse enclosure. The main Killanin Stand opened in 2007, and the Millennium Stand opened in 1999.

Top Trainers and Jockeys at Galway

Gordon Elliott (73 winners) and Willie Mullins (70) have trained the most National Hunt winners at Galway, with Mullins having the better strike rate at 19%. On the Flat, Joseph O'Brien leads with 41 winners, while Dermot Weld has an 18% strike rate from fewer runners. For many years, Weld was the dominant trainer at the summer festival.

Ruby Walsh is still the course's leading National Hunt jockey with 86 winners, ahead of Barry Geraghty and Paul Townend. On the Flat, the late Pat Smullen rode 112 winners at Galway, which is almost twice as many as any other jockey. Source: IrishRacing.com.

Visiting Galway Racecourse

Galway Racecourse is at Ballybrit, about 6 km north-east of Galway city centre and just off the M6 motorway. Car parking is free at most meetings. During the summer festival, shuttle buses run from Eyre Square in the city centre, costing €10 for an adult return and €5 for a child return. Shannon Airport is about 40 minutes away by car, and Dublin is about two hours away.

Galway races tickets for the summer festival are cheapest when bought online in advance, and the most popular days, including Plate Day and Ladies Day, often sell out early. Admission to the October meeting is usually around €10, and under-14s go free. Hotels in the city book up months ahead for the summer festival, so it's best to book Galway races accommodation as early as possible.

There's no formal dress code at the Galway races. Most racegoers dress smartly, especially on Ladies Day and Friday, but comfortable shoes and a waterproof are a good idea on any race day at Ballybrit.

Watching Galway Racing Live

Every Galway meeting is shown live on Racing TV, which covers all Irish racing in the UK and Ireland. The summer festival is also shown on free-to-air TV in Ireland. Many bookmakers also offer free live streams of the Galway races to customers who have a funded account or have placed a bet.

Betting on the Galway Races

The summer festival is one of the biggest betting weeks of the Irish racing year, with big-field handicaps every evening. Look for Best Odds Guaranteed, extra places on the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle, and non-runner no bet offers in the ante-post markets, which open weeks before the festival.

Prices can vary a lot between bookmakers on the big handicaps, so it pays to compare odds before you bet.

Galway Racing FAQs

When are the Galway Races 2026?

The 2026 Summer Festival ran from 27 July to 2 August. The final Galway meetings of 2026 are on 24, 25 and 26 October, at the October Racing Festival.

When are the Galway Races 2027?

The 2027 Galway Races Summer Festival runs from Monday 26 July to Sunday 1 August. The Galway Plate is on Wednesday 28 July, and the Galway Hurdle is on Thursday 29 July, which is also Ladies Day.

Is Galway racing on today?

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

Where can I find Galway races results?

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

Who won the 2026 Galway Plate?

King Alexander won the 2026 Galway Plate at 20/1. He was trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Daniel King.

When is Ladies Day at the Galway Races?

Ladies Day is on Thursday of the summer festival, which is also Galway Hurdle day. In 2027, it's on 29 July.

Is there a dress code at the Galway Races?

There's no formal dress code. Most racegoers dress smartly, especially on Ladies Day, but it's best to bring a jacket in case of rain.

Is there greyhound racing in Galway?

Yes, but not at Ballybrit. Galway Greyhound Stadium is a separate venue in the city, with its own race cards and results, which aren't covered on this page.

How do I get to the Galway Races?

During the summer festival, shuttle buses run from Eyre Square in Galway city to the racecourse. If you're driving, Ballybrit is just off the M6, and parking is free at most meetings.