Killarney Racing Today: Racecards, Results and Fixtures

No races today.

This page has today's race card, live results, the full fixture list and our racing tips, along with a guide to what is often called the most scenic racecourse in Ireland.

Set on Ross Road, a short walk from Killarney town, the course sits beside Killarney National Park and Lough Leane, with the MacGillycuddy's Reeks rising behind it. It stages Flat and National Hunt racing at four festivals between May and October, and most of the cards are run on summer evenings.

Killarney Racecards for Today

The Killarney 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.

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

Killarney Racing Fixtures 2026

The track holds 12 racedays a year across four festivals. The 2026 season finished with the October Festival on 4 and 5 October. Here is the full Killarney fixture list for 2026:

Killarney Racing Tips

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

• Favour prominent racers: Killarney's straights are long, but the track drifts slightly left down the home straight, which makes it hard to make up ground late. Front runners and horses that race close to the pace do best, especially on quicker summer ground.
• Low draws help on the Flat: There are no sprints at Killarney, as the shortest Flat races are run over about a mile. The bend straight after the winning post is very tight, so low-drawn horses that can save ground there have a small but useful edge in bigger fields.
• Look for nimble horses that handle the bends: All of Killarney's bends are cambered and sharp, and a rider who goes wide on the bend away from the stands can lose a lot of ground. Handy, well-balanced horses usually cope better than big, long-striding ones.
• Don't fear the fences: Over jumps, there are six fences per circuit, and three of them are in the dog-legged home straight. The fences are known to be fair and inviting, so Killarney can suit less experienced chasers.
• Follow Mullins, de Bromhead and the O'Briens: Willie Mullins has a 32% strike rate with his National Hunt runners at Killarney, and Henry de Bromhead has trained the most jumps winners here. On the Flat, Aidan O'Brien and Joseph O'Brien lead the way, while Pat Twomey has an impressive 38% strike rate from his smaller number of runners.
• Back the market leaders in handicaps: Favourites at Killarney have won around a third of National Hunt handicaps, which is unusually high for Irish racing. They have also won 41% of Flat non-handicaps.

Killarney Race Track Guide

The Killarney race track is a left-handed oval of just over nine furlongs. The ground is undulating in places, and every bend is cambered. The first bend after the winning post is especially tight, and races over the shortest distance on the Flat start close to it. That's one reason there are no races shorter than a mile.

The straights are fairly long, which gives riders time to get into a good position. Over jumps, the chase course has six fences per circuit, and three of them are in the home straight, which has a slight dog-leg and is just under three furlongs long. The run-in after the last fence is about a furlong.

Draw and Ground

On the Flat, low draws have a slight advantage, especially in bigger fields. In races run from October 2023 to May 2026, horses drawn low won 13.5% of the time, compared with 8.3% for high-drawn horses. Over jumps, there's no draw, and there's little sign of any positional bias apart from the general advantage of racing handily.

Most Killarney racing takes place in the summer, so the ground is often good or good to firm on the Flat. The jumps course can soften quickly after rain, though, and the May and October meetings are more likely to be run on easier ground than the July and August evening cards.

Big Races at Killarney

Killarney's feature races are spread across its four festivals, with the May and August meetings carrying the most valuable prizes:

• An Riocht Chase (May): This Grade 3 chase is run over about 2m 4½f and is the only graded jumps race at Killarney. Senecia won it in 2026 at 10/1 for trainer Victor Halley and jockey Phillip Enright.
• Killarney National (May): The Killarney National is a handicap chase over about 3m 2f and one of the highlights of the May Festival.
• Cairn Rouge Stakes (July): The Cairn Rouge Stakes is a Listed race for three-year-old fillies run over about a mile. It's named after the 1980 Irish 1,000 Guineas winner, and recent winners include Red Letter for Ger Lyons and Greenfinch for Aidan O'Brien.
• Ruby Stakes and Kingdom Gold Cup (August): The Listed Vincent O'Brien Ruby Stakes is the most valuable Flat race at the August Festival. The Kingdom Gold Cup, a Premier Handicap over about 2m 1f, is another big betting race at the meeting.

History

Racing in the Killarney area dates back to 1822, and the current course on the Ross Road opened in 1936. It celebrated 80 years of racing in 2016, and a new 54-box stable block opened the following year. Together with the views of the lakes and mountains, that investment has helped make Killarney one of the most popular summer racing venues in Ireland.

Top Trainers and Jockeys at Killarney

Henry de Bromhead is the leading National Hunt trainer at Killarney with 62 winners. Willie Mullins has 52 winners from far fewer runners, giving him a strike rate of 32%. On the Flat, Aidan O'Brien leads with 69 winners (25%), ahead of the Killarney-based trainer John Joseph Murphy on 47.

Ruby Walsh is still the course's leading National Hunt jockey with 69 winners. In recent seasons, Darragh O'Keeffe has been the top chase rider at the track. On the Flat, Declan McDonogh (57 winners) and Colin Keane (51) are the leading jockeys. Source: IrishRacing.com and At The Races.

Visiting Killarney Racecourse

Killarney Racecourse is on the Ross Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry, V93 0H2. Killarney's train and bus stations are both about half a mile away, so it's an easy walk from the town centre. Kerry Airport is about 15 minutes away by car, and parking at the course is free.

Killarney races tickets come in packages, from the Kingdom Pass for general admission to BBQ and Panoramic hospitality experiences. Under-14s go free with an adult. Gates usually open about two hours before the first race. The dress code is smart casual, and many racegoers make an extra effort on Ladies Day.

Ladies Day at Killarney Races

Ladies Day at Killarney is held on the Friday of the July Festival. It's the only afternoon card of the week and one of the most popular days of the Killarney racing calendar. In 2026, it was held on Friday 17 July, with the Lee Strand Best Dressed competition running alongside a jumps card.

Watching Killarney Racing Live

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

Bookmakers for Killarney Races

All the major UK and Irish bookmakers price up every Killarney race. Look out for Best Odds Guaranteed on Irish racing, extra places on bigger handicaps such as the Kingdom Gold Cup and the Killarney National, and early prices on the summer evening cards.

Killarney Racing FAQs

Is Killarney racing on today?

Killarney only races at its four festivals in May, July, August and October. The 2026 season finished on 5 October, and racing returns with the May Festival in 2027.

Where can I find Killarney racing results?

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

When is Ladies Day at Killarney races?

Ladies Day is held on the Friday of the July Festival. In 2026, it was on 17 July.

Is there a dress code at Killarney races?

The dress code is smart casual. Most racegoers dress up for Ladies Day in July.

Is there greyhound racing in Killarney?

No. There's no greyhound track in Killarney. Greyhound racing in County Kerry takes place at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in Tralee.

Is this the Killarney race track in Cape Town?

No. This page covers Killarney Racecourse in County Kerry, Ireland. The Killarney motor racing circuit in Cape Town, South Africa, is a separate venue.