FRIDAY nights are back at Dundalk Stadium from September 22nd. With 22 fixtures still to run in 2023 at Ireland’s only all-weather racecourse, there is plenty for racing fans to get excited about.

Dundalk Stadium is Ireland’s first combined horse and greyhound racecourse, boasting over 100 greyhound fixtures a year and 43 horseracing dates this year. There is something for everyone, and every week. Doors will open on Friday, September 22nd at 4pm, with the first race provisionally scheduled for 5.25pm.

The weekly Friday fixtures also double up as a greyhound fixture, meaning these dual racing nights are unique. With horseracing until about 8.30pm, followed some 20 minutes later by a greyhound card, it really is an experience like none other.

Dundalk Stadium boasts a panoramic, glass-fronted restaurant, impressively overlooking both racetracks, and also has a breath-taking view of the Cooley Mountains. With bars on all three levels, and with both the very popular Silks Carvery and their Bit & Bite takeaway, there is certainly something for everyone on offer.

This year’s winter period is extra special, as November 29th will mark the 20th anniversary since Dundalk Stadium was born. Racegoers can expect a fun and exciting celebration that night!

Lisa O’Connor, sales and marketing manager at Dundalk Stadium said: “We are very much looking forward to the beginning of the autumn and winter series here. It is a period in the calendar when Dundalk Stadium truly comes alive. We are even more excited about our upcoming celebrations for our 20th anniversary. This is an exciting happening which we will make sure to mark with a bang.”

There are a number of feature meetings in the upcoming programme, these include Friday, September 29th (Listed Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Diamond Stakes); Friday, October 6th (Listed EBF Star Appeal Stakes and Listed Legacy Appeal Stakes); Friday, October 27th (Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Pat Smullen Mercury Stakes), Friday, November 10th (Listed EBF Cooley Stakes); and Wednesday, November 29th when there will be horse and greyhound racing to celebrate Dundalk Stadium’s 20th anniversary.

Dundalk Stadium boasts a 400-seat restaurant with unparalleled panoramic views of both tracks. Head chef James Danaher recently re-joined the team, where he is leading the kitchen back to the successes of previous years. Tickets can be purchased at dundalkstadium.com or call 00353 42 93 34438.

Richest race

Goffs are staging Europe’s richest two-year-old race once again, the Goffs Million, on Saturday, September 23rd at the Curragh, and thanks to their support all AIR card holders are being offered free admission to attend this important race day.

The seven-furlong race is only open to 2022 Goffs Orby Sale graduates, and has a minimum value of €1 million. The exciting contest is supported by a strong eight-race card, including the Group 2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes and the Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes Joe McGrath Premier Handicap.

There will be lots happening off the track too, with a racing preview in the parade ring at 12.40pm. Children can win a ‘Mini Millions’ Goffs gilet, and budding auctioneers can let the hammer fall on the junior rostrum, getting a picture of what they look like against the Goffs backdrop. The High Spirits & Food Festival, with live music throughout the day from the Havanah Club Trio and the Kildare Gospel Choir, will ensure a feast for the senses.

The Association of Irish Racecourses wishes Lisa and the team at Dundalk Stadium the very best of luck with their Friday night racing fixtures. We also hope that our AIR cardholders enjoy the Goffs Two Million Series at the Curragh, and we wish Brian Kavanagh and all of his team well ahead of their Autumn Festival.