Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse -- usually referred to as simply the Curragh -- is one of Ireland's most important Thoroughbred racecourses. It is situated on the Curragh plain in County Kildare, between the towns of Newbridge and Kildare.
History
The name "Curragh" comes from the Irish language word Cuirreach, meaning "place of the running horse". The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727, but it was used for races before then. The first Derby was held in 1866, and in 1868 the Curragh was officially declared a horse racing and training facility by act of parliament.Racecourse redevelopment
Redevelopment of the Curragh grandstand and racecourse facilities began in 2017 with completion due in time for commencement of the 2019 Irish Flat season. A truncated racing fixture list continued to be held at the course during this period with temporary facilities in place for the public.Racing
The Curragh is a right-handed track, horseshoe and galloping in nature with a testing uphill finish. The track spans two miles in distance with a one-mile chute. It is home to all five Irish Flat Classics.| Top jockey | Wins | Rides | % |
| Johnny Murtagh | 330 | 1,943 | 17 |
| Mick Kinane | 327 | 1,968 | 17 |
| Kevin Manning | 256 | 2,600 | 10 |
| Pat Smullen | 238 | 2,275 | 10 |
| Christy Roche | 160 | 891 | 18 |
| Top trainer | Wins | Runs | % |
| A. P. O'Brien | 609 | 3,262 | 19 |
| J. S. Bolger | 391 | 3,558 | 11 |
| D. K. Weld | 340 | 3,203 | 11 |
| John M. Oxx | 330 | 2,321 | 14 |
| Kevin Predergast | 196 | 2,361 | 8 |
Training grounds
The Curragh training grounds provide trainers with the opportunity to prepare their horses on approximately 1,500 acres of training facilities. In addition to 70 miles of turf gallops, there are approximately 12 miles of peat gallops and eight all-weather tracks available to work on.Previous champion horses
Numerous elite level racehorses have run at the course prior to becoming multiple Group One winners around the world. Due to the fair nature of the track, the course has a reputation for attracting high quality two year old runners in particular, with many making their first racecourse appearances at the Curragh.| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Race Won | Year |
| Nijinsky | M. V. O'Brien | L. Ward | Irish Derby | 1970 |
| The Minstrel | M. V. O'Brien | L. Piggott | Irish Derby | 1977 |
| Storm Bird | M. V. O'Brien | T. Murphy | National Stakes | 1980 |
| Shergar | M. Stoute | L. Piggott | Irish Derby | 1981 |
| El Gran Senor | M. V. O'Brien | P. Eddery | National Stakes / Irish Derby | 1983/1984 |
| Sadlers Wells | M. V. O'Brien | G. McGrath | Irish 2,000 Guineas | 1984 |
| Vintage Crop | D. K. Weld | M. J. Kinane | Irish St Leger | 1993/1994 |
| Salsabil | J. Dunlop | W. Carson | Irish Derby | 1990 |
| Rodrigo De Triano | P. Chapple Hyam | J. Reid | Irish 2,000 Guineas | 1992 |
| Ridgewood Pearl | John Oxx | J. P. Murtagh | Irish 1,000 Guineas | 1995 |
| Kayf Tara | Saeed Bin Suroor | Frankie Dettori | Irish St Leger | 1998/1999 |
| Montjeu | J. Hammond | Cash Asmussen | Irish Derby | 1999 |
| Sinndar | John Oxx | J. P. Murtagh | National Stakes / Irish Derby | 1999/2000 |
| Hawk Wing | A. P. O'Brien | M. J. Kinane | National Stakes | 2001 |
| Galileo | A. P. O'Brien | M. J. Kinane | Irish Derby | 2001 |
| Vinnie Roe | D. K. Weld | P. J. Smullen | Irish St Leger | 2001/2002/2003/2004 |
| High Chapparal | A. P. O'Brien | M. J. Kinane | Irish Derby | 2002 |
| Rock Of Gibralter | A. P. O'Brien | M. J. Kinane | Irish 2,000 Guineas | 2002 |
| Attraction | Mark Johnston | Kevin Darley | Irish 1,000 Guineas | 2004 |
| Ouija Board | Ed Dunlop | L. Dettori | Irish Oaks | 2004 |
| Dubawi | Saeed Bin Suroor | L. Dettori | National Stakes | 2004 |
| George Washington | A. P. O'Brien | Kieren Fallon | National Stakes | 2005 |
| Hurricane Run | Andre Fabre | Kieren Fallon | Irish Derby | 2005 |
| Teofilo | J. S. Bolger | Kevin Manning | National Stakes | 2006 |
| Dylan Thomas | A. P. O'Brien | Kieren Fallon | Irish Derby | 2006 |
| New Approach | J. S. Bolger | Kevin Manning | National Stakes | 2007 |
| Yeats | A. P. O'Brien | Kieren Fallon | Irish St Leger | 2007 |
| Halfway To Heaven | A. P. O'Brien | Seamus Heffernan | Irish 1,000 Guineas | 2008 |
| Camelot | A. P. O'Brien | J. P. O'Brien | Irish Derby | 2012 |
| Australia | A. P. O'Brien | J. P. O'Brien | Irish Derby | 2014 |
| Kingman | J. Gosden | James Doyle | Irish 2,000 Guineas | 2014 |
| Minding | A. P. O'Brien | Seamus Heffernan | Moyglare Stud Stakes | 2015 |
| Winter | A. P. O'Brien | Ryan Moore | Irish 1,000 Guineas | 2017 |
| Enable | J. Gosden | L. Dettori | Irish Oaks | 2017 |
| Alpha Centauri | Jessica Harrington | Colm O'Donoghue | Irish 1,000 Guineas | 2018 |