Welcome to our official guide to Dundalk Stadium and Racecourse. In this section we explore this lively all-weather racecourse in detail, looking at its history, a look at the main races, a guide to track, hotel picks, fixtures, travel information, betting guides and even the weather of this great Irish track!
Dundalk Stadium is a racecourse of two halves, featuring both horse racing and greyhound racing, and is the only all-weather track in Ireland. It is popular with trainers from all over Ireland as well as attracting runners from the UK.
The stadium prides itself on being ‘more than just a racing venue’ and offers a variety of hospitality options on site. Visitors to the stadium will be met with a wealth of bars as well as three different eateries including fast food, a carvery, and a beautiful restaurant.
The Dundalk stadium has a long history of over 120 years but has undergone many reworkings during that time. In 2007, Dundalk stadium underwent a complete renovation and refurbishment which totally changed the feel and purpose of the site, after been originally opened four years previously, in 2003. The stadium boasts a fully floodlit poly-track surface which is coated with a wax surface, making it modern and innovative. The racecourse features stables that can house up to 130 horses and kennels for many greyhounds.
Many racecourses only operate full time throughout the spring and summer seasons and that is where Dundalk is special. The course really lights up during the winter months when visitors can attend a flat race at least once each week – nicknamed the Friday Night Club.
In 1999, the stadium was brought out and the greyhound racing was introduced, this stadium is the only dual-purpose racecourse in the whole of Europe, making it somewhat unique and interesting.
Dundalk Races
Most of the racing at Dundalk Stadium happens on Friday evening from September to March, whilst not strictly the highest quality there are always big fields and competitive racing under the floodlights. The racing is covered on Racing TV as part of their Friday Night Club. The current fixture list looks like this:
Fri, 25th September, 2020 (e)
Fri, 2nd October, 2020 (e)
Fri, 9th October, 2020 (e)
Fri, 16th October, 2020 (e)
Fri, 23rd October, 2020 (e)
Wed, 28th October, 2020 (e)
Fri, 30th October, 2020 (e)
Wed, 4th November, 2020
Fri, 6th November, 2020 (e)
Mon, 9th November, 2020
Wed, 11th November, 2020
Fri, 13th November, 2020 (e)
Mon, 16th November, 2020
Wed, 18th November, 2020
Fri, 20th November, 2020 (e)
Mon, 23rd November, 2020
Wed, 25th November, 2020
Fri, 27th November, 2020 (e)
Wed, 2nd December, 2020 (e)
Fri, 4th December, 2020 (e)
Fri, 11th December, 2020 (e)
Wed, 16th December, 2020 (e)
Fri, 18th December, 2020 (e)
Fri, 8th January, 2021 (e)
Fri, 15th January, 2021 (e)
Fri, 22nd January, 2021 (e)
Fri, 29th January, 2021 (e)
Fri, 5th February, 2021 (e)
Fri, 12th February, 2021 (e)
Fri, 19th February, 2021 (e)
Fri, 26th February, 2021 (e)
Fri, 5th March, 2021 (e)
Fri, 12th March, 2021 (e)
Fri, 19th March, 2021 (e)
Fri, 26th March, 2021 (e)
Wed, 31st March, 2021 (e)
Sat, 10th April, 2021
Sun, 18th April, 2021
Wed, 21st April, 2021 (e)
The main and most prestigious races at the Dundalk Stadium include Patton Stakes which is a 1 mile listed race for 3 year olds held in March. October sees the Group 3 Diamond Stakes over 10 furlongs and the 5 frulong Group 3 Mercury Stakes.
Dundalk Map
Courtesy of At The Races
Dundalk racecourse is a polytrack all-weather course. It is a left-handed and round, with a circuit of a little over 10 furlongs. The home straight is 2½ furlongs with a cut away at the top of the home-straight. There is a 5f off-chute which joins the main course on the home bend. Their tends to be a draw bias for low numbers over races up to 7 furlong.
Address
The official address of Dundalk Racecourse is:
Racecourse Road
Dowdallshill
Dundalk
Co Louth
A91 FFP3
Ireland
How To Get There
The best ways to get to the course are below:
By car – the racecourse can be accessed by using the M1 and N25 roads respectively if visitors are arriving by car. When driving, the racecourse can be reached from Dublin in just 45 minutes and from Belfast within an hour. There is a good amount of parking at the stadium and visitors have the option to safely leave their vehicle overnight should they so wish.
By train – if travelling by train, the stadium is accessed via the Dundalk train station, usually by the Enterprise high-speed rail network.
By air – for air passengers, Dublin airport is just a 40-minute drive from the stadium. There is a bus service which can be taken from the airport, which runs directly to the stadium, making arriving at the venue quickly and simple.
Dundalk Betting Sites
At British Racecourses we often recommend betting online and via apps. This is because you can often get the best odds, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely without having to queue.
If you are looking to bet online we recommend the following great deals with some amazing offers for new customers:
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F – A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market – Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) – Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days – Free bet stakes not included in returns – Deposit method and withdrawal restrictions apply.
#ad. New Customers Only. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
New customers only, min deposit and bet £10 (£20 if E/W bet) from UK Debit card only. Paypal not accepted. Min odds evens (1/5 per multi selection). 2 x £10 Free Bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned, no cash out.
New UK & NI customers only. 18+. Sign up using promo code ‘SPORTS60’. Deposit & place first sports bet at a minimum of £10 in one bet transaction at evens (2.0) +. £30 paid in free bets within 48 hours of bet settlement, expires 7-days after issue. Doesn’t apply to customers who place their first bet on the Virtual Grand National. E-Wallet & Prepaid Card restrictions apply. Your first bet must be settled within 60 days of bet placement. SMS validation may be required. Game restrictions apply. Maximum 30 Free Spins on selected games. Free Spins expire after 7 days. Full T&Cs apply.
18+ New UK+IRE customers. PayPal and certain deposit and bet types excluded. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply.
New players only. Qualifying bet(s) must have minimum odds of 3/1 and must be settled before triggering free bet. Free Bet must be used on an accumulator with 3 or more selections. 18+. begambleaware.org.
New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply.
18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply.
New customers only. 18+, BeGambleAware.org. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus. Wagering requirements: Sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), Casino 25x. Only one bonus can be used at a time, Sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the Casino, unless the bonus has been forfeited. Bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in.
18+ New Customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £10 qualifying bet on Horse Racing at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 3x £10 Horse Racing Free Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater. Plus, a £10 Game Show Bonus, selected games, wager 40x to withdraw a max of £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days.
18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: £10, max £15 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at a min. odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible.
New users only. Min deposit £20. Place qualifying bets of £20 to £100 in first 7 days after deposit to unlock free bets. Free bet rewarded as 4 free bets that total first deposit amount. Min odds 1/1, 3+ legs & expire in 7 days. Winnings credited in cash. Full T&Cs apply.
There aren’t many hotels in the vicinity but the closest is the Crown Plaza but being driving distance from both Dublin and Belfast most visitors to the course choose to stay in one of these locations where you are essentially spoilt for choice. We always recommend checking out Booking.com below which often has great rates and availability:
The current Chester race meeting dates for 2021 are:
Fri, 17th September 2021
Fri, 24th September 2021
Fri, 1st October 2021
Fri, 8th October 2021
Fri, 15th October 2021
Fri, 22nd October 2021
Wed, 27th October 2021
Fri, 29th October 2021
Wed, 3rd November 2021
Fri, 5th November 2021
Wed, 10th November 2021
Fri, 12th November 2021
Wed, 17th November 2021
Fri, 19th November 2021
Wed, 24th November 2021
Fri, 26th November 2021
Wed, 1st December 2021
Fri, 3rd December 2021
Wed, 8th December 2021
Fri, 10th December 2021
Wed, 15th December 2021
Fri, 17th December 2021
The key Dundalk fixtures are the following:
Friday 24th September – The Diamond Stakes
Friday 1st October – The Star Appeal/The Legacy Stakes
Friday 22nd October – The Pat Smullen Mercury Stakes
Friday 29th October – The Cooley Stakes
Dundalk Weather
Punters and race-goers love to keep up with the weather to predict going conditions, as well as making sure what they wear is suitable. Here’s the current weather forecast for Dundalk: DUNDALK WEATHER
Summary
Dundalk Stadium is a busy and lively track most famously known for its Friday racing, which goes on through almost any weather conditions through the Irish winter. Races are not always strictly high-class but they are always good-sized fields and competitive, making fun and open betting events. Even though this is the case, the track is frequented by nearly all of the Irish trainers who compete throughout the winter months. The course itself is friendly with great customer service and the stadium offers a superb restaurant and viewing opportunities – so if the weather is bad you can enjoy great racing, food and drink inside. For those looking for a bumper Friday evening, you can combine the horse racing with greyhound racing as well! We love Dundalk here at British Racecourses and highly recommend a visit.
Ireland Racecourses Alphabetical
Here is a full alphabetical list of Irish racecourses, as you can see there are lots of options and racecourses spread across the entire country:
