Leopardstown Racecourse

Welcome to our official guide to Leopardstown Racecourse.

We explore this great both great jump and flat racing Irish racecourse in detail, looking at its history, a guide to the course, top local hotel picks, full racing fixtures, travel information, betting guides and even the weather.

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

Find out more about Leopardstown Racecourse:

Overview of Leopardstown Races

Officially the only racecourse in Dublin, Leopardstown Racecourse is situated six miles south of the city centre at the foot of the Dublin mountains.

Leopardstown is arguably Ireland’s prime location for horseracing and a stunning racecourse.

Leopardstown hosts both National Hunt and flat racing with a calendar of over twenty race days a year. It is known for world-class horse racing.

The course is busy through all seasons and hosts Irish Group 1 flat races and Grade 1 jumps events throughout the year.

The track at Leopardstown is a wide, left-handed oval measuring a mile and three-quarters. It is almost entirely flat aside from a small rise at the last bend. It’s quite a stiff track, and horses here need stamina and to be strong.

Leopardstown track is often underestimated and as such it’s no surprise that only the best of horses and jockeys compete here.

Leopardstown is quite a venue, with much more than just horseracing happening on-site – it’s practically a little town all to itself! A golf course and clubhouse are situated right in the middle of the track, and alongside the grandstands, you can find restaurants, bars, designer shops, a fitness centre, a nightclub and Leopardstown Pavilion.

It is well-frequented by both Dublin locals and tourists, racing fans and otherwise.

The Leopardstown Racecourse Hall of Fame reads as a who’s who of Irish racing, with honours including the likes of Tom Dreaper, Vincent O’Brien, Pat Taaffe, Arkle, Dawn Run and Levmoss.

Leopardstown itself is a small village whose name translates as ‘home of the lepers’, due to its nature of being a suburb where leprosy victims were moved to in the 14^th century! Now a residential suburb for all, it sits in the county of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.

Leopardstown Racecourse History

Leopardstown Racecourse was built in 1888 by Captain George Quin, who modelled the course meticulously on Sandown Park Racecourse in England.

Many of the staff, whilst of course they weren’t around at the time of the course’s conception, have had their roles handed down through family ties, so remain closely linked to the heritage of the course.

Being the premier horseracing venue in Ireland, the course can boast some notable visits and races. King Edward VII and Princess Alexandra visited the course in 1907 and it has remained a firm favourite amongst the well-heeled from both sides of the Irish Sea.

Main Leopardstown Races and Events

Leopardstown Racecourse plays home to over twenty race meets annually, year-round and in both National Hunt and flat events.

The biggest and most notable of race days is undoubtedly the Irish Champion Stakes, a Group 1 flat race run over one mile and two furlongs. The event was established in 1976 and although was briefly moved to Phoenix Park, is run annually at the course in September. It is one of the World Series of Racing and attracts a sell-out crowd year after year.

The track is now also part of Irish Champions Weekend at the end of September where many of the best horses from Ireland, the UK and rest of the world compete for a clutch of top-class races.

The Dublin Racing Festival similarly attracts a good attendance and is held every year in February. It’s much more than just jump racing, too – you’ll find cultural events, local food and drink stalls and live music and art performances across the weekend.

Other notable races include the Irish Gold Cup and the Spring Junevile Hurdle.

Other main flat races at Leopardstown:

• Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial 2024
• The Ballysax Stakes 2024
• Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial 2024
• The Heritage Stakes 2024
• The Noblesse Stakes 2024
• The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial 2024
• The Amethyst Stakes 2024
• Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial 2024
• Saval Beg Stakes 2024
• The Glencairn Stakes 2024
• The Ballycorus Stakes 2024
• The Stannera Stakes 2024
• The Meld Stakes 2024
• The Tyros Stakes 2024
• Silver Flash Stakes 2024
• The Ballyroan Stakes 2024
• The Desmond Stakes 2024
• The Matron Stakes 2024
• The Irish Champion Stakes 2024
• The Clipper Boomerang Mile 2024
• Enterprise Stakes 2024
• The Juvenile Turf Stakes 2024
• The Petingo Handicap 2024
• The Sovereign Path Handicap 2024
• The Killavullan Stakes 2024
• Trigo Stakes 2024
• Eyrefield Stakes 2024
• Leopardstown October Handicap 2024
• Knockaire Stakes 2024

Leopardstown Racecourse Maps

There are two racecourses at Leopardstown; the jumps and flat course are explored below.

Leopardstown Flat Course

Below is a map of the Leopardstown flat course:

The flat track is wide & left-handed.

It is oval in shape and measures 14 furlongs –  a mile and three quarters – around.

Whilst the corners and turns are tight it is quite a galloping track so stamina is often required.

The Jumps Track

Below is a map of the national hunt course at Leopardstown:

Similar to the flat track the course is wide and left-handed and of the same length and shape.

Similar to the flat course the bends are quite sharp but the track poses a good stamina test.

The obstacles are fair – even if the fences come thick and fast down the back straight, so good jumpers fare well.

Leopardstown Racecourse Address

The official address of Leopardstown racecourse is:

Leopardstown Racecourse
Foxrock
Dublin 18
D18 C9V6

How To Get To Leopardstown Racecourse

The ways to get to Leopardstown races are:

• By road – about six miles south of Dublin city centre, Leopardstown is easily accessible by both road and public transport. Car parking on-site is free but does become busy on race days and so plenty of time should be given to allow for traffic queues.
• By tram – Dublin’s LUAS tram service runs to a stop in nearby Sandyford, which is a short walk away and served by shuttle buses on major race days.
• By train – the nearest rail station is Blackrock, which is a DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) service, and similarly has shuttle buses serving the site on event days. Dublin Airport is around an hour’s drive away and runs a direct bus service to the course.

There’s ongoing speculation as to the refurbishment of a closer LUAS station, that was built in the 00s but has yet to be properly opened.

At time of writing, there are no definitive or public plans to open this and have it serve the racecourse.

Hotels Near Leopardstown Racecourse

Leopardstown isn’t a big enough town to offer lots of accommodation, but there is one hotel – the Clayton. A reasonably priced mid-budget hotel, it has restaurant and gym facilities but gets very booked up around race events.

The nearby IMI Dundrum hotel is more modern and comes in around the same price, similarly with a fitness centre on-site.

Most of those travelling to Leopardstown from further afield choose to stay in Dublin, as of course, hotel options are plentiful there!

Chain hotels in the city include Radisson Blu, Best Western, Key Collections, Hilton and Travelodge.

There are also lots of traditional Irish guesthouses and B&Bs, particularly around some of the residential suburbs and the Temple Bar area of the city.

Betting Shops Local to Leopardstown Racecourse

You’ll find Tote and regular betting facilities on-site at Leopardstown.

The Tote Hall also offers free Wi-Fi and free phone charging facilities for those looking to place their bets online.

Away from the course, the nearest betting shop is a branch of Paddy Power horse racing, but there are also branches of William Hill horse racing, BoyleSports and Ladbrokes nearby.

Dublin has branches of almost every chain betting shop you can think of.

Best Leopardstown Races Betting Sites

At British Racecourses, we often recommend betting online and via apps when going to the races.

This is because you can often get the best odds, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely.

If you are looking to bet online we recommend the following great deals shown on the page with these leading betting sites: Many of these are specific Irish bookmakers, others are what we consider to be the best new betting sites around.

Other Events Held at Leopardstown Racecourse

As a multi-purpose venue, Leopardstown hosts more than just horseracing.

A farmer’s market with local produce is held on-site every Friday and attracts a good crowd.

A music festival takes place at the venue every summer and is currently sponsored by Bulmer’s Cider. This sees attendees travel even from abroad to visit and in previous years has featured headliners including The Boomtown Rats, The Human League and Johnny Marr.

Leopardstown Races 2024

Here is the horse racing calendar for Leopardstown Races in 2024:

Find out more information on the Irish horse racing fixtures 2024 calendar.

Leopardstown Racecard and Leopardstown Tips

The racecards for the Leopardstown races are released the day before the races take place (Leopardstown races today), find out where to view racecards here – tomorrow’s racecards and today’s racecards. In these you will get an advance look at all the runners and riders, some people like to do this and select their horses before getting to the track.

You can also of course purchase a racecard from the track which carries much of the same useful information.

Current Leopardstown Weather Forecast

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 Leopardstown:
LEOPARDSTOWN VALLEY WEATHER

Summary of Leopardstown Races

A jewel in the crowd of Irish racing, Leopardstown hosts tops class national hunt and flat racing throughout the year – namely the Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1) and the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle, Dublin racing festival, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival amongst a host of others.

A naturally stunning course (wide, left-handed & oval) set in beautiful surroundings the crowds are well-informed, friendly and always up for a laugh.

The facilities are outstanding, the customer service amazing and it is worth a visit at any time of year (the Christmas Festival is also worth a shout out).

If you are looking for a stunning course that boasts the benefits and beauty of the countryside but the buzz of being in a vibrant and buzzy environment, look no further.

A top pick.