UK & Irish Racing Festivals
A directory of the 17 major UK and Irish racing festivals — Cheltenham Festival, Aintree Grand National Meeting, Royal Ascot, Ayr Gold Cup Festival, Galway Festival, Punchestown, and more — with racecourse guides, key races, and Points Engine history.
Major UK Horse Racing Festivals
Ten flagship British fixtures spanning the jumps and flat seasons — from the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National Meeting through the Guineas Festival, Derby Festival, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, Ebor Festival, St Leger Festival, and British Champions Day.
Cheltenham Festival
March (4 days, mid-March) · 10 Mar – 14 Mar 2027
National Hunt's flagship meeting — Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers' Hurdle, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.…
Starts in 5 monthsOff seasonAintree Grand National Meeting
April (3 days, early to mid-April) · 3 Apr – 5 Apr 2027
Aintree's three-day festival culminating in the Randox Grand National — the world's most famous steeplechase. Turf and jumps…
Starts in 6 monthsOff seasonScottish Grand National Festival
April (2 days, mid-April at Ayr) · 17 Apr – 18 Apr 2027
Two days of National Hunt racing at Ayr, headlined by the Scottish Grand National in mid-April. Fhorsite jumps…
Starts in 6 monthsOff seasonGuineas Festival
Early May (2 days at Newmarket) · 1 May – 3 May 2027
Newmarket's Classic curtain-raiser — the 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile. Turf speed ratings, draw-bias…
Starts in 7 monthsOff seasonThe Derby Festival
Early June (2 days at Epsom Downs) · 5 Jun – 6 Jun 2027
Epsom Downs' two-day Classic meeting — the Oaks and the Derby on the unique cambered turf. Fhorsite speed…
Starts in 8 monthsOff seasonRoyal Ascot
Mid-June (5 days at Ascot) · 17 Jun – 21 Jun 2027
Five days of elite flat racing on Ascot's turf — from the Gold Cup to the Diamond Jubilee…
Starts in 9 monthsOff seasonGlorious Goodwood
Late July / early August (5 days at Goodwood) · 28 Jul – 1 Aug 2027
Five days on the Goodwood downs — Sussex Stakes, Nassau Stakes, and the Stewards' Cup. Turf speed ratings,…
Starts in 10 monthsOff seasonThe Ebor Festival
August (4 days at York) · 19 Aug – 22 Aug 2027
York's four-day August meeting — Juddmonte International, Yorkshire Oaks, Nunthorpe Stakes, and the Ebor Handicap. Knavesmire speed ratings,…
Starts in 10 monthsOff seasonSt Leger Festival
September (4 days at Doncaster) · 10 Sep – 13 Sep 2027
Doncaster's four-day September festival culminating in the St Leger, the oldest Classic. Town Moor ratings, staying-trip form, and…
Starts in 11 monthsOff seasonLadbrokes Ayr Gold Cup Festival
September (3 days, mid-to-late September at Ayr) · 17 Sep – 19 Sep 2027
Scotland's biggest flat festival — three days at Ayr culminating in the Ayr Gold Cup, one of Europe's…
Starts 17 Oct 2027Off seasonBritish Champions Day
Mid-October (1 day at Ascot) · 17 Oct – 17 Oct 2027
QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot — the one-day finale of the flat season, including the Champion Stakes…
Major Irish Horse Racing Festivals
Six major Irish racing festivals — Punchestown Festival, the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, Galway Festival, Listowel Harvest Festival, Leopardstown AutumnFest, and the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
Leopardstown Christmas Festival
December (26–29 December) · 26 Dec – 29 Dec 2026
Leopardstown's four-day Christmas Festival (26–29 December) — Savills Chase, Matheson Hurdle, and Dublin Chase. Irish jumps ratings and…
Starts in 5 monthsOff seasonIrish Grand National
Easter Monday (Fairyhouse Easter Festival) · 3 Apr – 6 Apr 2027
Fairyhouse's Easter Festival, climaxing in the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday. Irish staying-chase ratings, racecourse guide notes,…
Starts in 6 monthsOff seasonPunchestown Festival
Late April / early May (5 days at Punchestown) · 28 Apr – 2 May 2027
Five days of Irish National Hunt championship racing at Punchestown in late April and early May. Irish jumps…
Starts in 9 monthsOff seasonGalway Festival
Late July / early August (7 days at Galway) · 28 Jul – 3 Aug 2027
Ireland's summer racing carnival — seven days of flat and jumps action at Ballybrit. Irish racing speed figures,…
Starts in 11 monthsOff seasonListowel Harvest Festival
September (7 days, mid-to-late September at Listowel) · 20 Sep – 26 Sep 2027
Seven days of mixed racing at Listowel in mid-to-late September, including the Kerry National. Irish festival speed figures,…
Starts in 11 monthsOff seasonLeopardstown AutumnFest
October (mid-October at Leopardstown) · 10 Oct – 12 Oct 2027
Leopardstown's mid-October AutumnFest meeting on the Foxrock turf. Irish flat ratings, autumn form, and Fhorsite Points Engine history…
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