Galway
Racecourse guide: course statistics, top jockeys and trainers, and recent winners.
Galway Course Guide and Statistics
The course at Galway
Galway is a right-handed course of about a mile and a quarter, with sharp bends and a stiff uphill climb to the finish. It is best known for the Galway Races festival in late July and early August, one of the biggest events in the Irish calendar.
Betting at Galway
The tight bends and uphill finish favour handy horses that race prominently and can quicken, though the climb catches out those who do not stay. Course form is significant. The Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle are among the most competitive handicaps of the season, and the betting markets for them are often strong.
Key races and meetings
- Galway Races festival (late July and early August): Galway Plate, Galway Hurdle
- October meeting
Galway by the numbers
Equine Tips Intel has recorded 111 races across 12 meetings at Galway since 27 July 2026, 92 of them with full official results.
Flat racing makes up 52% of the races we hold, run on a turf surface.
The most common going is Yielding (30% of races) and the most frequently run distance is 2m½f.
Fields average 13.3 runners. Favourites have won 24 of 92 races (26.1%), and the median winning starting price is 9/2.
Race types
- Flat58 races · 52%
- Hurdle35 races · 32%
- Chase18 races · 16%
Going
- Yielding33 races · 30%
- Good19 races · 17%
- Yielding To Soft16 races · 14%
- Soft16 races · 14%
- Heavy12 races · 11%
- Soft To Heavy10 races · 9%
Common distances
- 2m½f21 races · 19%
- 7f20 races · 18%
- 1m½f14 races · 13%
- 2m6½f12 races · 11%
- 2m2f11 races · 10%
- 1m4f10 races · 9%
Top jockeys at Galway
| Jockey | Wins | Runs | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| W J Lee | 7 | 27 | 25.9% |
| Paul Townend | 5 | 17 | 29.4% |
| Keith Donoghue | 5 | 26 | 19.2% |
| Jack Kennedy | 4 | 16 | 25% |
| Daniel King | 4 | 26 | 15.4% |
Top trainers at Galway
| Trainer | Wins | Runs | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 11 | 53 | 20.8% |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 5 | 56 | 8.9% |
| Paul John Gilligan | 4 | 25 | 16% |
| Gavin Cromwell | 4 | 49 | 8.2% |
| W. P. Mullins | 3 | 5 | 60% |
Our model at Galway
Every settled primary selection our machine learning model has made at Galway, to a 1 unit level stake (Betfair SP less 5% commission where available, otherwise SP). Past results do not guarantee future returns.
Feature races at Galway
- Ardilaun Hotel Irish EBF Oyster Stakes (Listed)Listed · 8 Sept
- BOYLE Sports Handicap Hurdle (Listed)Listed · 1 Aug
- Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes (Listed)Listed · 30 Jul
- Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Steeplechase (Grade 3)Grade 3 · 30 Jul
- Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap (Grade 3)Grade 3 · 30 Jul
- Tote Galway Plate (Handicap Steeplechase) (Grade 3)Grade 3 · 29 Jul
- COLM QUINN BMW Novice Hurdle (Listed)Listed · 28 Jul
Recent winners at Galway
| Date | Winner | SP | Jockey / Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Oct | Sharkeyboy (FR)QuinnBet 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle | 8/13F | Paul Townend / W. P. Mullins |
| 26 Oct | Stumptown (IRE)W.b. Gavin & Co. Handicap Hurdle | 7/1 | Keith Donoghue / Gavin Cromwell |
| 26 Oct | Moonshine Girl (IRE)COLM QUINN BMW Handicap Hurdle | 12/1 | Miss J Townend / Paul John Gilligan |
| 26 Oct | Thinkitdontjinxit (IRE)Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle | 3/1 | Jack Kennedy / Gordon Elliott |
| 26 Oct | Karl Des Tourelles (FR)SANSERV Rated Novice Chase | 1/1F | Sean Flanagan / Philip Fenton |
| 26 Oct | Rockonfamouslee (IRE)Electric Galway (C & G) (Pro/Am) Flat Race | 16/1 | Mr O T Gilligan / Paul John Gilligan |
| 26 Oct | If You Believe (IRE)Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction & Median Maiden Hurdle | 11/4 | Keith Donoghue / Gavin Cromwell |
| 25 Oct | Illtakehimmyself (IRE)COLM QUINN BMW Handicap Steeplechase | 7/2 | Patrick M O'Brien / E McNamara |
| 25 Oct | Bluebell Breeze (IRE)Tom Dempsey Flooring 4-Y-O Fillies (Pro/Am) Flat Race | 13/2 | Miss Charlotte Butler / A D Leahy |
| 25 Oct | Simply Natural (GB)COLM QUINN BMW Mares Maiden Hurdle | 5/2 | Keith Donoghue / Gavin Cromwell |
No racing at Galway today. See today's meetings