The Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse hosts all five of the Irish classic races, as well as the majority of other Irish Group 1 races. Usually referred to just as “The Curragh”, it is located on the Curragh plain near Newbridge in County Kildare.
The Curragh track is a horseshoe-shaped, 2-mile circuit, with a run in of 3 furlongs and an uphill finish. It includes an adjoining chute into a six-furlong sprint track. The 5 and 6 furlongs are straight.
Irish Oaks Admission
For the Irish Oaks, the Curragh Racecourse offers three categories of admission – general grandstand admission, access to the top floor of the grandstand (known as the Premier Level) without reserved seating and Premier Level access with classic balcony seating. All areas of the course are accessible by wheelchair, and a viewing area for disabled spectators is located alongside the Parade Ring, just past the winning post.
See Irish Oaks tickets for ticket prices and booking information.
Curragh Restaurants
As well as a large number of bars and fast-food or snack outlets, the Curragh Racecourse includes
- the Horseshoe Restaurant on the first floor of the Grandstand, for fine dining in two sittings, at 12.00 PM and 2.30 PM
- the Champagne Bar and Bistro, beside the Parade Ring, for fine dining and champagne
- the informal Silks Self Service restaurant, serving hot meals and snacks, in the Tote Hall
- Dan Donnelly’s Diner, for quality fast food and baguettes, in the West End Stand
- a Weeping Thaiger outlet, which serves Thai food, Haagen Daz ice cream and coffees, in the Tote Hall
Private Suites
For corporate entertaining, the Curragh provides
- the Derby Club Room, catering for up to 160 seated guests or 200 guests with a buffet-style lunch
- the St. Leger Suite, for up to 100 guests and serving buffet lunch only
- a range of eight glass-fronted Panoramic Suites, accommodating from 10 to 35 guests
Some of the Panoramic Suites interconnect and can be joined to cater for up to either 60 or 70 guests. For larger groups of corporate guests, specially tailored marquees can be provided.
See Irish Oaks packages for race-day packages available at the Curragh.
The Curragh Racecourse is currently undergoing a €100 million redevelopment, with construction of a new grandstand and of a hotel due to continue up to 2009. Curragh management has staggered the redevelopment project to ensure that it won’t interfere with any of the scheduled 2008 races.
Don’t miss the 2008 Irish Oaks, when the top thoroughbred fillies go head to head at the Curragh.
For live horse race betting we use William Hill, one of the world's largest betting companies.
