Tipperary Racing Tips

Tipperary Racecourse is a popular horse racing venue in Ireland that hosts both Flat racing and National Hunt. The racecourse is proximal to Limerick Junction railway station and only two miles from Tipperary town. Due to its proximity to Limerick Junction, it was called Limerick Junction racecourse before it was changed to Tipperary racecourse. The racecourse hosts flat racing and National racing from April to October.

Tipperary (Limerick Junction) Racing Tips

Find all today’s latest free horse racing tips including tips for Tipperary from the most respected professional tipsters from UK and Ireland.

Tipperary racecourse history

The first race ever recorded on this racecourse was in 1848. In those early days, the racing was done in Barronstown, a short distance south of the course’s current location. It’s worth mentioning that the races had only one bookmaker who opted not to take racing bets in those times. Instead, they operated a roulette table. Racing took place in Barronstown for several years, though there was a break between 1872 and 1881 due to a smallpox outbreak.

Over time, racing couldn’t continue at Barronstown, and as such, T Gardiner Wallis championed the construction of a new course at Limerick Junction. Finally, in September of 1916, he got his wish and opened the new course to some horse trainers, including Stephen Grehan, Senator J.J. Parkinson, and Charles Moore.

Speaking of trainers, some of the most famous racers who graced the course include Bushranger, Dylan Thomas, and Heatseeker. All of these riders made their debuts at Tipperary before going on to do even greater things.  The High Chaparral, a horse that won $5 million in prize monies over several races, broke his maiden at Tipperary racecourse before winning the Racing Post Trophy.

The course

The Tipperary racecourse is left-handed and is mainly flat. Because of this, it’s known to be excellent for speedy races. The course has a straight track that joins the main circuit that accommodates five furlongs long races in a straight line. Moreover, the sprint course doesn’t have a bias. However, when the going is relatively soft, there’ll always be some better ground on the outside.  On the flip side, for seven-furlong races, riders prefer a low draw as they get nearer to the first bend.

Being a relatively flat ground, it’s possible to recover from the back. However, this rarely happens, especially on the hurdles and chase course. The chase course is the innermost track making it slightly sharper. With that said, the ground is bound to get a little testy, especially after some prolonged rains.

Tipperary main racing events

Concorde Stakes

This Group 3 flat horse race is open to thoroughbred horses aged above three years. The horses compete over a distance of 1,500. Racers convene every year in October.

Initially, the event was formerly held at Phoenix Park for a mile. Also, instead of October, the event was held in June and July. Later it was moved to Tipperary.

Fairy Bridge Stakes

This Group 3 flat horse race is open to thoroughbred mares and fillies who are three years old and above. Racers compete for over 1,500 meters and is scheduled every year in August.

The race is named after the Fairy Bridge. The event was started in 2003 and was initially at the Listed level.

Dolores Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle

This is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race for beginners. It is open to horses aged four years and above and is run for 3,218 meters. It takes place every October and was upgraded to Grade 3 level in 2003.

The event was changed to Joe Mac Novice Hurdle in 2017. The inspiration for the new name came from Joe Mac, a horse owned by J.P McManus.

Istabraq Hurdle

This is Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race that’s open to horses over four years old. It’s run over 3,219 meters and is scheduled for every year in October. The event was held for the first time in 1997. Before 2006, the race was called the John James McManus Memorial Hurdle.

Like a Butterfly Novice chase

This is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice chase that is open to horses above four years old. It is run over a distance of 4,023 meters and takes place in October.  The first-ever event was held in 1997 and was only upgraded to Grade 3 status in 2003.

The horse has been sponsored by Kevin McManus Bookmakers, J.P McManus’s younger brother’s company for many years.

Where to bet on Tipperary races

Online betting sites

Though you can use traditional bookies, using an online betting site is better on several fronts. For instance, online betting sites offer welcome bonuses to new users, which help improve their chances of winning big. Moreover, most of these online sites can afford better odds because they have fewer overhead costs.

Most importantly, you get a lot more betting options from online betting platforms, like placing in-game bets and cashing out before the race is over.

How to get to Tipperary racecourse

Rail

Tipperary racecourse is adjacent to a railway station – Limerick Junction railway station, which is a five minutes’ walk to the track.

Bus

You can get to the course by bus. You can look up bus schedules from different transport companies like Moovit and Eireann.

Self-drive

Tipperary is on main Limerick-Waterford Road and is only two miles from Tipperary town. The course has ample parking space on-site and has some parking space for the disabled closer to the main entrance. The route you use and the distance mainly depend on your starting point. From Limerick, it’s 30km, from Cork 87 km, from Cashel 29 km, and Kilkenny 82 km.

Aside from being a great destination for watching horse races, Tipperary has on-site facilities that improve your experience at the racecourse. You can buy tickers at the gate or online. Alternatively, you can pay for an annual membership. With this membership, you’ll enjoy your race days from the member’s bar that overlooks the finishing post as well as the pre-saddling area. Moreover, being a member qualifies you to attend reciprocal meetings or special trips to the stud farms and stable yards.

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