Fairyhouse Course Guide

Fairyhouse Racecourse is one of the premier National Hunt tracks in Ireland. Located 23km north of Dublin in County Meath, the first recorded race meeting took place there in 1848. Nowadays, it hosts 20 meetings over the course of the year, with both Flat and National Hunt racing taking place there.

The highlight of the Fairyhouse calendar is the three-day Easter Festival, with the main event unquestionably being the Irish Grand National. First run in 1870, arguably the most memorable winner of it in recent decades was the legendary Desert Orchid, who carried top weight to victory in the 1990 renewal of the race.

Mind, a Fairyhouse card that is beginning to rival the Easter Festival in terms of prestige is the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle meeting which takes place in December. It host three Grade 1 races and has proven to be one of the highest-class days of pre-Christmas National Hunt racing anywhere in Ireland and Great Britain.

The sole Group race on the Flat at Fairyhouse is the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes in July and it has been won by future Group 1 winners such as Emulous and Fiesolana in recent years.

Flat Racing
Jumps Racing

A wide, galloping and square-shaped course that is a mile and six furlongs in length and right-handed. The straight is three furlongs long and is slightly uphill.

Fairyhouse is quite a level track that while it is fair in the main, it generally suits horses that have to pace to race prominently. The draw isn’t something I ever found myself getting too worked up about at Fairyhouse. Mind, over the shorter trips, a low draw can be a real problem for a hold-up horse, as they race quite right to the rail in the straight and hard-luck stories are never too far away.

View from the saddle: Mick Kinane

A wide, galloping, square right-handed track, a mile and three quarters in extent. There is a steady climb on the side away from the stands before a steady descent in the back straight. The three-furlong home straight is slightly uphill but the track is not a testing one and favours no particular type of horse. There are eleven fences to a circuit, and a run-in of around a furlong.

A lovely big galloping track. There are rarely any hard-luck stories at Fairyhouse, you can come from any position and it’s an easy enough track to ride. The fences there are some of the stiffest around and wouldn’t be very forgiving to a chancy novice.

View from the saddle: Charlie Swan

Fairyhouse Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Riviere D'etel (Good)	09 Oct 2021	3m 54s
2m 150y	Star Max (Good to Yielding)	13 Apr 2021	4m 4.6s
2m 1f 50y	The King Of Prs (Soft)	11 Jan 2025	4m 23.05s
2m 3f 175y	Beacon Edge (Good)	28 Nov 2021	4m 56.7s
2m 4f 100y	True Testimony (Yielding to Soft)	29 Nov 2025	5m 38.3s
2m 5f	Russian Diamond (Good)	09 Oct 2021	5m 10.3s
2m 5f 110y	Dolcita (Yielding)	03 Apr 2022	5m 26.7s
2m 7f 160y	Arrycan (Good)	09 Oct 2021	5m 58.9s
3m 104y	Clonbury Bridge (Yielding)	11 Oct 2025	6m 16.6s
3m 1f 88y	Vaucelet (Good to Yielding)	16 Apr 2022	6m 30.6s
3m 2f	One Horse Army (Soft)	25 Jan 2025	6m 53.01s
3m 5f	Smoking Gun (Good)	28 Nov 2021	7m 37.1s
3m 5f 160y	History Of Fashion (Yielding)	01 Dec 2024	7m 45.8s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Minella Sixo (Good)	07 Oct 2024	3m 45.07s
2m 110y	Tounsivator (Yielding)	01 Dec 2024	3m 57s
2m 1f 30y	Minella Yoga (Soft to Heavy)	04 Nov 2025	4m 41.03s
2m 2f	Coolnacritta (Good)	09 Oct 2021	4m 23.2s
2m 2f 110y	Bleu De Vassy (Good)	12 Oct 2024	4m 25.08s
2m 3f 110y	Fulysse (Good to Yielding)	09 Nov 2021	4m 58.4s
2m 4f	Honeysuckle (Good)	28 Nov 2021	4m 50.1s
2m 4f 110y	Big Chou (Good)	07 Oct 2024	4m 54.06s
2m 5f 110y	Capilano Bridge (Yielding)	18 Apr 2022	5m 29.4s
2m 6f	Max Flamingo (Yielding)	05 Apr 2021	5m 42.2s
2m 6f 110y	Kilbree Warrior (Soft)	21 Dec 2022	6m 10.03s
2m 7f 110y	Whatsavailable (Good)	12 Nov 2024	5m 50.8s
3m	Outside The Door (Good)	07 Oct 2024	5m 49.02s
3m 110y	Bugs Moran (Good to Yielding)	16 Apr 2022	6m 15.9s
3m 2f	A Year Older (Yielding)	01 Jan 2026	6m 53s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Belle Le Grand (Good)	07 Oct 2024	3m 39.7s
2m 110y	Koktail Brut (Yielding)	01 Dec 2024	4m 2.5s
2m 4f	Jetara (Good to Yielding)	16 Apr 2022	4m 59.5s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
6f	Beauty Crescent (Good)	19 Sep 2022	1m 11.52s
7f	Beautiful Sunshine (Good)	19 Sep 2022	1m 25.79s
1m 1f 20y	Maxux (Yielding)	18 Sep 2023	1m 59.44s
1m 1f 210y	Alice Monet (Good)	09 Jul 2025	2m 5.18s
1m 4f	Lady Christa (Good)	14 Jun 2024	2m 34.97s
1m 5f 110y	Moon Daisy (Good to Firm)	20 Sep 2021	2m 54.31s
1m 6f	Londonofficecallin (Good)	09 Jul 2025	2m 57.79s

Fairyhouse Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat
PTP

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
W P Mullins	123	30	54	€939,499	24.39%	€5.07
G Elliott	135	13	44	€265,501	9.63%	-€76.65
G P Cromwell	103	8	29	€138,300	7.77%	-€63.65
H De Bromhead	58	6	18	€120,600	10.34%	-€27.75
J P Dempsey	20	4	3	€52,499	20%	€13.50
T Gibney	27	3	8	€295,700	11.11%	-€11.33
Ian Patrick Donoghue	11	3	3	€33,000	27.27%	€5.50
P Nolan	21	2	7	€33,601	9.52%	-€1.00
K Thornton	17	2	6	€15,300	11.76%	-€9.50
T O'Brien	10	2	4	€16,801	20%	-€0.25

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
W P Mullins	162	42	57	€805,500	25.93%	-€6.50
G Elliott	198	24	77	€442,500	12.12%	-€136.65
G P Cromwell	103	10	26	€86,098	9.71%	-€71.63
P J Rothwell	64	6	14	€46,500	9.38%	-€46.25
J P O'Brien	24	6	10	€141,300	25%	€54.00
K Thornton	36	6	6	€40,199	16.67%	€29.00
H De Bromhead	72	5	22	€42,000	6.94%	-€59.08
Ian Patrick Donoghue	41	5	10	€32,699	12.2%	-€13.30
C Collins	57	4	14	€79,800	7.02%	-€1.00
N Meade	32	4	8	€28,500	12.5%	-€18.15

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Elliott	42	10	17	€120,599	23.81%	€3.60
W P Mullins	44	10	16	€126,900	22.73%	-€18.67
G P Cromwell	15	2	6	€12,300	13.33%	-€5.50
E Mullins	6	2	0	€15,000	33.33%	-€2.89
D Queally	5	1	2	€6,000	20%	€6.00
P T Foley	4	1	2	€6,600	25%	€11.00
P A Fahy	9	1	1	€6,000	11.11%	-€5.00
A McCann	7	1	1	€18,000	14.29%	-€0.50
Ms M Mullins	4	1	1	€6,000	25%	€9.00
Colm Murphy	4	1	1	€9,000	25%	€7.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
J P O'Brien	65	12	23	€201,299	18.46%	€9.43
J P Murtagh	42	8	18	€68,999	19.05%	€10.92
G P Cromwell	27	7	7	€82,199	25.93%	€6.85
G M Lyons	41	5	18	€74,399	12.2%	-€24.13
N Lupini	15	5	2	€52,800	33.33%	€13.83
A P O'Brien	31	4	13	€69,600	12.9%	-€5.97
N Meade	35	4	11	€26,700	11.43%	-€6.00
M C Grassick	24	4	6	€28,500	16.67%	€4.00
R O'Sullivan	17	3	6	€26,101	17.65%	€11.25
M O'Callaghan	17	3	4	€27,600	17.65%	€5.75

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Strike-Rate	P/L
Colin Bowe	12	2	5	16.67%	-6.00
Robert James	5	2	3	40%	4.00
Donnchadh Doyle	8	2	2	25%	-1.00
P M Pierce	4	2	0	50%	13.00
G Elliott	4	1	2	25%	-1.75
Luke John Murphy	3	1	1	33.33%	3.00
Jonathan Fogarty	2	1	1	50%	2.00
D M Christie	2	1	1	50%	-0.43
M J O'hare	2	1	1	50%	0.00
Harley Dean Dunne	8	1	0	12.5%	-1.00

Fairyhouse Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat
PTP

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Paul Townend	41	15	18	€556,100	36.59%	€5.11
Mark Walsh	44	9	19	€181,800	20.45%	-€20.67
Jack Kennedy	42	8	18	€126,901	19.05%	-€20.15
Keith Donoghue	50	8	15	€84,899	16%	-€2.15
Darragh O'Keeffe	38	5	16	€93,600	13.16%	-€14.25
Danny Mullins	30	4	14	€119,999	13.33%	€10.50
Donagh Meyler	29	3	10	€23,701	10.34%	-€16.00
Brian Hayes	22	3	8	€102,000	13.64%	-€0.50
Sean Flanagan	29	2	9	€15,601	6.9%	-€15.00
Sam Ewing	32	2	8	€111,000	6.25%	-€10.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Paul Townend	63	24	27	€522,900	38.1%	€9.57
Jack Kennedy	77	22	27	€407,999	28.57%	-€13.14
Mark Walsh	68	21	22	€284,698	30.88%	€31.84
Darragh O'Keeffe	68	9	13	€136,501	13.24%	€133.00
Keith Donoghue	82	8	26	€75,898	9.76%	-€56.10
Danny Mullins	63	8	15	€117,900	12.7%	-€8.88
Tiernan Power Roche	31	7	6	€59,400	22.58%	€7.75
Donagh Meyler	72	6	23	€39,900	8.33%	-€47.75
Danny Gilligan	62	6	22	€80,700	9.68%	-€13.58
Sean Flanagan	65	6	20	€47,700	9.23%	-€33.42

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Mr P W Mullins	30	8	11	€108,600	26.67%	-€10.42
Mr H C Swan	28	7	14	€96,300	25%	-€13.15
Miss J Townend	10	3	3	€24,600	30%	-€3.00
Josh Williamson	12	2	4	€66,000	16.67%	-€0.25
Mr D G Lavery	12	2	2	€12,300	16.67%	-€2.50
Mr D O'Connor	7	2	2	€15,000	28.57%	-€1.64
Mr J J Codd	3	2	0	€29,999	66.67%	€11.00
Mr J L Gleeson	18	1	5	€9,000	5.56%	-€15.50
Mr R W Barron	14	1	5	€18,000	7.14%	-€11.00
Miss A B O'Connor	12	1	2	€18,000	8.33%	-€5.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Billy Lee	45	11	12	€105,900	24.44%	€34.41
Ben Coen	44	9	15	€77,999	20.45%	€9.02
Gary Carroll	43	9	13	€92,700	20.93%	-€0.15
Colin Keane	57	8	24	€91,499	14.04%	-€20.43
Dylan Browne McMonagle	46	8	16	€109,200	17.39%	-€13.08
Robert Whearty	45	5	8	€45,300	11.11%	€2.25
Seamie Heffernan	34	4	11	€36,000	11.76%	€3.08
J M Sheridan	25	4	6	€32,999	16%	€16.83
D E Sheehy	25	4	6	€29,100	16%	€10.50
James Ryan	57	3	17	€35,999	5.26%	-€40.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Strike-Rate	P/L
Mr R James	9	4	3	44.44%	7.00
Mr B O'Neill	14	3	5	21.43%	-5.75
Mr B T Stone	13	2	6	15.38%	-4.00
Mr L J Murphy	8	1	3	12.5%	-2.00
Mr D G Lavery	6	1	2	16.67%	-4.00
Kevin Healy	5	1	2	20%	-0.50
Mr T Power Roche	7	1	1	14.29%	0.00
J Dunne	6	1	1	16.67%	-1.00
R A Berry	2	1	1	50%	7.00
B Finn	2	1	0	50%	-0.43