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	Hardline (Good)	13 Oct 2018	3m 53.6s
2m 110y	Duca De Thaix (Good)	01 Dec 2018	4m 9s
2m 1f	Back To Balloo (Good)	06 May 2014	4m 13.2s
2m 1f 110y	Graineyhill (Good)	23 Feb 2019	4m 28.9s
2m 4f	Delta Work (Good)	02 Dec 2018	5m 0s
2m 5f	Neddyvaughan (Good)	13 Oct 2018	5m 15.7s
2m 6f 100y	Usuel Smurfer (Good to Yielding)	21 Apr 2014	5m 49.1s
2m 7f 110y	Fr Humphrey (Good)	14 Nov 2018	6m 8.1s
3m	Irish Bulletin (Good)	07 Nov 2016	6m 21s
3m 1f	Knockanarrigan (Good)	06 May 2014	6m 22s
3m 5f	Shutthefrontdoor (Good to Yielding)	21 Apr 2014	7m 40.2s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Colla Pier (Good)	10 Oct 2015	3m 47.8s
2m 2f	Lone Wolf (Good)	01 Dec 2018	4m 27.7s
2m 4f	Jack Slade (Good)	08 Oct 2016	4m 46.1s
2m 6f	Cara's Oscar (Good to Yielding)	21 Apr 2014	5m 24.1s
2m 7f	Getaway John (Good)	15 Jan 2019	5m 49.9s
2m 7f 110y	Mystic Embarr (Heavy)	01 Jan 2018	6m 39.9s
3m	Allez Vic (Good)	06 May 2014	5m 48.9s
3m 110y	Tin Soldier (Yielding to Soft)	25 Jan 2017	6m 38.6s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Investmentsuccess (Good to Yielding)	21 Apr 2014	3m 45.5s
2m 2f	Free Expression (Good to Yielding)	21 Apr 2014	4m 18.9s
2m 4f	The Green Lady (Soft)	20 Apr 2016	4m 56.1s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
6f	Fast In The Wind (Good to Yielding)	10 Jul 2016	1m 13.15s
7f	The Eyes Have It (Good to Firm)	08 Jun 2016	1m 26.64s
1m 2f	Saga Sprint (Good to Firm)	02 Jun 2016	2m 7.72s
1m 4f	Azurite (Good to Firm)	30 Sep 2014	2m 36.8s

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

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Elliott	142	22	47	€715,412	15.49%	-€36.06
W P Mullins	59	14	25	€282,983	23.73%	-€23.99
N Meade	50	5	16	€118,340	10%	-€22.25
Mrs J Harrington	28	4	14	€298,951	14.29%	-€16.70
R Tyner	23	4	4	€34,481	17.39%	-€7.50
H de Bromhead	29	3	9	€24,616	10.34%	-€19.00
J P Dempsey	20	3	9	€43,042	15%	€11.50
Joseph P O'Brien	13	3	6	€42,818	23.08%	€13.63
Denis Hogan	16	3	5	€50,441	18.75%	€10.00
J T R Dreaper	7	3	3	€21,868	42.86%	-€1.25

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Elliott	208	36	67	€560,488	17.31%	-€81.00
W P Mullins	147	27	55	€689,083	18.37%	-€27.92
H de Bromhead	41	9	12	€94,622	21.95%	€36.38
Joseph P O'Brien	68	5	22	€53,550	7.35%	-€53.84
Dermot McLoughlin	44	5	6	€38,807	11.36%	€9.63
N Meade	88	4	27	€92,825	4.55%	-€59.25
G P Cromwell	55	4	8	€45,526	7.27%	-€31.38
A J Martin	41	4	8	€34,803	9.76%	-€30.15
Padraig Roche	8	4	0	€49,226	50%	€12.25
Mrs J Harrington	65	3	21	€22,175	4.62%	-€54.25

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Elliott	50	12	17	€118,225	24%	-€12.47
W P Mullins	37	7	15	€42,467	18.92%	-€27.03
N Meade	21	4	13	€130,935	19.05%	-€1.13
P A Fahy	9	3	0	€18,460	33.33%	€26.00
Joseph P O'Brien	13	2	8	€12,320	15.38%	-€7.50
Peter Fahey	9	2	1	€28,300	22.22%	-€3.00
H de Bromhead	9	1	5	€5,535	11.11%	-€2.00
Ms M Mullins	7	1	4	€6,160	14.29%	€8.00
Dermot McLoughlin	2	1	1	€7,392	50%	€24.00
G P Cromwell	3	1	0	€6,775	33.33%	-€1.13

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G M Lyons	62	13	21	€153,516	20.97%	-€2.68
J S Bolger	47	8	18	€60,969	17.02%	€11.25
Joseph P O'Brien	47	7	20	€56,978	14.89%	€38.68
John Patrick Murtagh	34	6	12	€44,622	17.65%	-€10.50
Mrs J Harrington	30	6	10	€76,282	20%	-€9.00
D K Weld	25	5	8	€40,927	20%	-€13.53
A P O'Brien	29	4	17	€34,494	13.79%	-€23.46
M Halford	34	3	11	€27,400	8.82%	-€13.25
W McCreery	32	3	8	€44,899	9.38%	-€14.00
M O'Callaghan	27	3	7	€22,152	11.11%	-€12.25

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

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D N Russell	47	12	20	€359,481	25.53%	€2.26
J W Kennedy	45	8	20	€121,193	17.78%	-€3.03
P Townend	36	6	13	€108,862	16.67%	-€20.96
P T Enright	29	6	5	€61,252	20.69%	€13.50
M P Walsh	39	5	10	€119,253	12.82%	-€20.21
R Walsh	15	5	6	€78,099	33.33%	-€2.95
R M Power	30	4	14	€305,081	13.33%	-€15.90
L P Dempsey	33	4	12	€72,542	12.12%	€18.50
B J Geraghty	16	4	5	€35,075	25%	-€5.60
B J Cooper	22	4	4	€83,629	18.18%	€2.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D N Russell	91	25	33	€307,322	27.47%	€8.13
P Townend	74	15	22	€277,011	20.27%	-€4.75
J W Kennedy	85	13	26	€282,996	15.29%	-€37.12
R Walsh	46	12	22	€270,813	26.09%	-€4.34
Rachael Blackmore	62	9	23	€152,094	14.52%	€82.15
M P Walsh	71	6	29	€55,088	8.45%	-€51.00
S W Flanagan	97	6	25	€109,457	6.19%	-€57.25
D E Mullins	74	6	10	€84,318	8.11%	-€39.59
B J Geraghty	26	6	5	€91,935	23.08%	-€11.48
R M Power	61	5	21	€52,297	8.2%	-€26.75

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Mr J J Codd	26	9	9	€79,020	34.62%	€14.57
Mr P W Mullins	28	7	11	€42,467	25%	-€18.03
Ms L O'Neill	20	5	6	€34,690	25%	-€7.41
Ms N Carberry	11	3	7	€88,760	27.27%	€5.00
Mr R Deegan	17	2	6	€12,925	11.76%	-€2.00
Mr D O'Connor	9	2	6	€27,685	22.22%	-€2.50
Mr D J Benson	10	2	3	€65,775	20%	-€2.13
Mr M J O'Hare	17	1	10	€7,392	5.88%	€9.00
Mr T Hamilton	10	1	5	€6,160	10%	-€7.00
Mr D Roche	8	1	4	€5,535	12.5%	-€1.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
C T Keane	71	14	23	€156,910	19.72%	-€22.18
K J Manning	50	8	18	€61,584	16%	€9.25
W J Lee	54	8	16	€116,250	14.81%	-€1.00
P J Smullen	57	7	20	€58,155	12.28%	-€32.82
D O'Brien	32	7	14	€57,594	21.88%	-€14.78
S Foley	57	6	17	€70,448	10.53%	€8.00
R Coakley	31	5	3	€35,111	16.13%	-€0.50
G F Carroll	50	4	17	€65,478	8%	-€18.50
J A Heffernan	41	4	15	€33,263	9.76%	€37.50
D P McDonogh	42	4	10	€34,496	9.52%	-€32.05