Gowran Park Racecourse

Welcome to our guide to Gowran Park Racecourse:

Located just a kilometre south of the town of Gowran, in the east of County Kilkenny, Gowran Park Racecourse is a Grade 1 ranked horseracing venue that hosts both National Hunt and flat racing.

If you are looking for the latest betting tips for Gowran Park, check out our full guide to Gowran Park Racecourse tips.

We explore this racecourse looking at its history, a guide to the course, hotel picks, fixtures, travel information, betting guides and more.

Find out more about Gowran Park Racecourse:

Overview of Gowran Races

A mixture of graded racing takes place at Gowran Park Racecourse throughout the year, and it is considered one of the most important dual-purpose tracks in the whole of Ireland. There are sixteen or seventeen race meets spread throughout the year.

Gowran Park Racecourse is just a fifteen-minute drive from the city of Kilkenny and is a popular venue for city residents to celebrate occasions and attend special events such as Ladies Day.

It also attracts many high-quality trainers and owners who recognise the heritage of the course, as well as the prominent and prestigious races on its calendar.

The popularity of Gowran Park Racecourse has soared in the last couple of decades, particularly since its Grade 1 status was granted in 2006. As a result, the racecourse has received investment in its hospitality and conferencing facilities and continues to attract hordes of visitors every year.

Gowran Park Racing Tips

Gowran Park Racecourse History

Gowran Park Racecourse has been home to horse racing since June 1914, when both flat races and steeplechases were on the race programme for a grand prize of £130. The stewards at that race included Lord Annaly, Captain Dermot McCalmont, and Gowran Park, who remains in his family today, as his grandson Harry McCalmont is a Director on the Board of the racecourse today!

In 1948, the present race company was formed. It made history several times over the years, including in 1952, when it played host to the first-ever on-course commentary and in 1966, when the first Tote Jackpot was won.

The first television horse race in Ireland also took place at Gowran Park!

Following some investment, a new grandstand was built in 2003, along with new betting and hospitality facilities.

The first-ever Irish Group 3 flat race was held at Gowran Park in 2006, and not long after, it received classification as a Grade 1 course for National Hunt races.

Indeed, throughout the winter months, in particular, the race meets held at Gowran House Racecourse are of considerable quality.

Gowran Racecourse Map

There are two courses at Gowran, the flat and the jumps course:

Gowran Park Flat Racecourse

Below is a map of Gowran Park flat racecourse:

The track at Gowran Park is a right-handed oval measuring approximately 1.5 miles.

Its undulations essentially make it a galloping track, and many horses get caught in the final climb of the furlong straight that is three furlongs in length.

Gowran Park Jumps Track

Below is a map of Gowran Park’s national hunt track:

For National Hunt racing, there are seven fences in a circuit for the chase course on the outside of the hurdles track.

The run-in is around a furlong.

In the summer when the going is good, it’s a fast track, and there is rarely any one type of horse or jockey that has a tangible advantage.

Main Races and Events at Gowran Park

Gowran House Racecourse’s calendar highlight is the Thyestes Chase, held each January as a National Hunt handicap chase. Raced over three miles and one furlong across seventeen fences. It has a maximum field of eighteen runners and is usually run mainly by horses who will go on to compete in the Grand National. The Thyestes Chase has been run at Gowran Park since 1954.

Gowran Park Racecourse Address

The address of Gowran Park Racecourse is:

Gowran Park Racecourse
Mill Road
Gowran Demesne
County Kilkenny
Ireland

How To Get To Gowran Park Racecourse

The ways to get Gowran races are:

• By road, Gowran Park Racecourse is just a fifteen-minute drive and less than a couple of minutes from the village of Gowran itself.
• By bus – on race days, a free bus service runs from the gates of Kilkenny Castle to the Racecourse that departs one hour before the first race with a return half an hour after the last scheduled race of the day. Bus Éireann operates services through Gowran village, but the venue is a short walk from the bus stop. There are up to eight departures a day from Dublin.
• By train – the nearest train stations to Gowran Park Racecourse are Kilkenny and Thomastown, both served by Dublin and Waterford. Both stations have taxi ranks.
• By air, Dublin Airport, which is served by a variety of international routes, is an hour and a half’s drive away, and Cork Airport is approximately two hours away. For those travelling by boat, Rosslare Harbour is just ninety minutes’ drive away.

Hotels near Gowran Park Racecourse

The town of Gowran itself is too small for any hotels, but there is a casual B&B, Kilbawn Country House, nearby. Several hotels can be found in Kilkenny, including the River Court Hotel, Newpark Hotel, the Hotel Kilkenny and Kilkenny House. You won’t find chain hotels here, but there are options to suit most budgets.

In the local area, there are family-run B&Bs and Airbnb options, as well as a few rural pubs offering rooms and some small guesthouses. There are also plenty of overnight accommodation options and hotels in Waterford and Carlow. Larger groups may find they need to travel further afield to find a hotel that can accommodate them all.

Gowran Park Racecourse does have a list of ‘recommended’ hotels on its website, but currently no negotiated discounts or offers.

Betting Shops Local to Gowran Park Racecourse

There are three different ways to bet at Gowran Park Racecourse – either through the on-site branch of the BoyleSports betting site, through the Tote facilities or with the independent bookmakers in the Betting Ring.

Gowran itself is too small a village for a betting shop, but there are branches of Paddy Power betting, BoyleSports, Ladbrokes betting and indie bookmaker Pat Toolan in nearby Kilkenny.

Other Events Held at Gowran Racecourse

For flat racing, the most important event is September’s Denny Cordell Lavarack Fillies Stakes; a Group 3 horse race open to fillies and mares aged three or over. Run over one mile, one furlong and one hundred yards, it is named after Denny Cordell-Lavarack, an English record producer who became a racehorse trainer in his later life and worked across Ireland. His family and friends remain the race sponsors to this day.

Summary of Gorwan Park Races

A stunning Irish racecourse set in beautiful countryside, Gowran Park holds high-quality flat and jumps racing throughout the year.

It is a popular course with the top trainers, jockeys, and racing fans, as well as people just looking for a great day out.

Gowran Park is one of the top racecourses in Ireland – a must-visit.