Sligo Racecourse
Sligo Racecourse is located in Cleveragh, which is just outside of the coastal seaport town of Sligo in Ireland. The horse racing venue hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing events on its dual-purpose, right-handed one mile oval circuit. Sligo Racecourse offers eight meetings per annum and its two-day meeting in August is the highlight of its racing calendar.
Horse racing has been present in the local area since 1781, with the first official meetings taking place at Rosses Point and Bowmore. Despite politics being volatile around this time, horse racing events continued to be organised, albeit infrequently. Articles printed in the Sligo Journal, mention equine activity during the 19th century as being highly popular.
From 1898, the main area for racing activity was at Hazelwood. This remained the primary location until 1942, when the venue was closed due to World War II. By 1955, horse racing had been revived and was being hosted at Cleverlagh, where the current Sligo Racecourse is situated. Back then, the course was purpose-built with jumps and flat races in mind and both types of events are still enjoyed at the course.
Quite notably, the top novice hurdler called Brewster won a bumper at Sligo in 2002. And the powerful Jazz Princess, who ran here in 2004 and went on to become one of the best two-year-olds in all of Ireland.
A tradition has formed where horse racing professionals and race enthusiasts flock to the seven-day Galway Races Festival in summer, followed by the Sligo races in August. This pattern has led to top quality racing taking place at the Sligo course with many notable horses competing.
Sligo Racecourse sits in a beautiful setting, surrounded by mountains with breath-taking views of the Irish countryside. Racegoers not only get to enjoy the fantastic horse racing when visiting Sligo Racecourse but they also have the chance to soak up the scenery. Important meetings at Sligo Racecourse include July’s Family Day, Ladies Day and the August Festival and Student Day in October. In 2013, Sligo Racecourse celebrated the opening of their new modern grandstand, pavilion and entrance. The venue also boasts a large bar, snack bar and a self-service restaurant. The County Sligo Races Supporters Club also contributes towards numerous upgrades at the course. They arrange two-way agreements with other Irish racecourses, such as Limerick, Curragh and Down Royal amongst others. Tickets for race day entry are very affordable. Students and OAP’s benefit from discounts and children under the age of 14 years can enter free of charge. Sligo Racecourse also provides plenty of hospitality space which caters for up to 50 guests.
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