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	Cadmium (Soft)	24 Feb 2018	4m 38.7s
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	143	19	45	€688,309	13.29%	-€75.96
W P Mullins	65	14	30	€284,199	21.54%	-€27.95
N Meade	49	5	15	€118,340	10.2%	-€21.25
Mrs J Harrington	27	4	14	€298,951	14.81%	-€15.70
J P Dempsey	22	4	9	€51,037	18.18%	€10.90
R Tyner	26	4	5	€34,481	15.38%	-€10.50
H de Bromhead	30	3	9	€24,616	10%	-€19.00
Denis Hogan	16	3	6	€50,441	18.75%	€10.00
Joseph P O'Brien	12	3	5	€42,818	25%	€14.63
J T R Dreaper	8	3	3	€21,868	37.5%	-€2.25

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Elliott	217	36	68	€586,077	16.59%	-€97.66
W P Mullins	146	25	56	€681,236	17.12%	-€33.74
H de Bromhead	44	8	11	€55,710	18.18%	€19.88
Joseph P O'Brien	62	5	18	€53,550	8.06%	-€47.84
A J Martin	51	5	11	€45,259	9.8%	-€34.15
Dermot McLoughlin	42	5	5	€37,258	11.9%	€9.63
N Meade	82	4	26	€92,825	4.88%	-€50.25
Mrs J Harrington	72	4	26	€41,534	5.56%	-€51.00
G P Cromwell	44	4	5	€94,362	9.09%	-€22.38
E Cawley	27	3	9	€31,108	11.11%	€21.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Elliott	51	12	18	€117,908	23.53%	-€3.87
W P Mullins	38	8	16	€50,462	21.05%	-€25.28
N Meade	25	4	15	€130,935	16%	-€5.13
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
Dermot McLoughlin	3	2	1	€14,982	66.67%	€24.90
Mrs J Harrington	18	1	6	€59,000	5.56%	-€10.00
H de Bromhead	9	1	5	€5,535	11.11%	-€2.00
Ms M Mullins	7	1	4	€6,160	14.29%	€8.00
Peter Fahey	7	1	1	€6,775	14.29%	-€4.00

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	51	11	22	€350,241	21.57%	-€4.64
J W Kennedy	45	7	19	€113,802	15.56%	-€24.03
R Walsh	20	7	8	€114,489	35%	-€0.08
P T Enright	30	6	5	€61,252	20%	€11.50
R M Power	35	5	16	€314,921	14.29%	-€11.90
L P Dempsey	40	5	15	€80,537	12.5%	€12.90
P Townend	39	5	15	€103,188	12.82%	-€23.29
M P Walsh	44	5	10	€119,253	11.36%	-€25.21
B J Geraghty	21	5	7	€94,075	23.81%	-€9.85
A E Lynch	36	4	9	€31,400	11.11%	€55.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D N Russell	95	24	38	€300,238	25.26%	€2.51
P Townend	75	15	20	€272,092	20%	-€3.50
J W Kennedy	83	12	25	€282,355	14.46%	-€38.12
R Walsh	49	11	24	€264,523	22.45%	-€7.22
B J Geraghty	35	10	7	€236,485	28.57%	-€2.85
Rachael Blackmore	54	7	18	€105,494	12.96%	€53.65
D E Mullins	68	7	9	€107,068	10.29%	-€31.79
M P Walsh	73	6	31	€62,760	8.22%	-€46.75
S W Flanagan	97	6	24	€109,457	6.19%	-€56.25
A E Lynch	66	6	15	€59,676	9.09%	-€6.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Mr J J Codd	27	9	10	€79,020	33.33%	€13.57
Mr P W Mullins	31	8	13	€50,462	25.81%	-€18.28
Ms L O'Neill	19	4	6	€28,530	21.05%	-€7.81
Ms N Carberry	15	3	10	€88,760	20%	€1.00
Mr R Deegan	17	2	6	€12,925	11.76%	-€2.00
Mr D J Benson	10	2	3	€65,775	20%	-€2.13
Mr M J O'Hare	16	1	9	€7,392	6.25%	€10.00
Mr D O'Connor	8	1	6	€6,160	12.5%	-€4.50
Mr T Hamilton	8	1	5	€6,160	12.5%	-€5.00
Miss K Harrington	15	1	4	€59,000	6.67%	-€7.00

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