Vincent Hinde Collection

Fairyhouse Racecourse

The earliest record of a meeting at Fairyhouse was in 1848 when organised by the West Union Hunt group. Although that first meeting was a point to point meeting, within 3 years it became an enclosed course, so starting the process of turning it into the top National Hunt course in the country. In those very early days its top race was the Citizens Plate organised by members of the Tea-pot Club, the first in 1850 being won by Kate, while the next year Mr M Murphy was triumphant. Full results of those two early races are shown below. Its principal race now is the Irish Grand National which was first run in 1870 when won by Sir Robert Peel (the horse), owned by Mr Dunne. In 1964 the most famous steeplechaser of them all, Arkle, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and went on to land the Irish Grand National in the hands of Pat Taaffe when trained by the legendary Tom Dreaper. Two recent winners of the great race, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde, have also won the Aintree Grand National. The racetrack now is a one-mile and 6.5 furlong right-handed circuit, with a 2.5 furlong straight and a slight uphill finish, currently staging 19 fixtures annually.