Galway Races: Dates, races, runners, history & more

With 53 races staged across seven days at the Ballybrit Racecourse, Galway Races is Ireland's largest horse racing festival.

It doesn't boast the top level action of a Dublin Racing Festival or Irish Champions Weekend, but Galway offers fiercely competitive racing with excellent prize money on offer.

An estimated 150,000 people attend the Galway Races throughout the week and the meeting is headlined by the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle.

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Galway Races dates

Galway Races is a seven-day meeting and this year's staging will take place from Monday 29th July until Sunday 4th August 2024.

Galway Races venue

Ballybrit Racecourse hosts the Galway Races, which is located 6km northeast of Galway city.

Also known as Galway Racecourse, the 1.4 mile (2.25 km) circuit hosts both Flat and National Hunt racing between July and October.

Considered by jockeys as one of the toughest courses, races at Galway attract a large number of entries - both on the Flat and over jumps - which can lead to tightly-contested contests.

Galway Races how to watch

Every race from the Galway Races can be watched live via the bet365 Live Sports Streaming service.

At The Races will also provide live television coverage of all of the action at the Ballybrit.

Galway Races history

The first Galway Races was held at the Ballybrit on 17th August 1869 and the inaugural eight-race meeting also saw the debut of the Galway Plate.

It remained a two-day festival until 1970 where another day was added, and in the following year organisers extended it to four days following the construction of a new stand.

By 1999 it had become a week long racing extravaganza, with the extension of the Galway Races duration coinciding with the launch of the new Millennium Stand.

To further enhance the raceday experience for visitors, best dressed competitions have become a staple at the Galway Races, with spectators provided the opportunity to raise to compete for high-value prizes on the Thursday and Friday.

Galway Races famous winners

King George winner Hewick was triumphant in the Galway Plate in 2022, with Shark Hanlon's €850 purchase going on to accumulate over £700,000 in prize money,

Donald McCain Jr.'s Overturn, whose major successes include the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Northumberland Plate and Ascot Hurdle, won the 2010 Galway Hurdle under Graham Lee.

Formidable trainer Willie Mullins has won six editions of the Galway Hurdle, including Zarak The Brave's victory in 2023. Dermot Weld and Gordon Elliott are two of the most successful trainers in the Galway Plate, recording four wins apiece.