Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in the UK and steeplechasing in the US. Jump racing can be further divided into hurdling and steeplechasing.
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been mostly unchanged since at least classical antiquity.
Conditions races are horse races in which the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving weight from older runners to allow for relative maturity, referred to as weight for age; and the quality of the runners, with horses that have won certain values of races giving weight to less successful entrants.
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: hurdles and steeplechases. Alongside these there are "bumpers", which are National Hunt flat races. In a hurdles race, the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles; in a steeplechase the horses jump over a variety of obstacles that can include plain fences, water jump or an open ditch. In the UK, the biggest National Hunt events of the year are generally considered to be the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
National Hunt flat races, informally known as bumper races, are a type of flat racing but run under National Hunt racing rules in Britain and Ireland.
The Ballysax Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardstown in April.
The Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at Leopardstown in May.
The Irish St Leger Trial Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.
The Vintage Crop Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Navan over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.
The Lacken Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years only. It is run at Naas over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.
The King George V Cup is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years only. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The Cork Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Cork over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late March or early April.
The Salsabil Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Navan over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.
The Martin Molony Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred horses aged four years or older. It is run at Limerick over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 110 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Rochestown Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged two years only. It is run at Naas over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.
The Marble Hill Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged two years only. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.
The Orby Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at the Curragh in June.
The Belgrave Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The Mercury Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Dundalk over a distance of 5 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
Horse racing in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish culture and society. The racing of horses has a long history on the island, being mentioned in some of the earliest texts. Domestically, racing is one of Ireland's most popular spectator sports, while on the international scene, Ireland is one of the strongest producers and trainers of Thoroughbred horses. The Irish horse racing industry is closely linked with that of Great Britain, with Irish horses regularly competing and winning on the British racing circuit.
