A Day Out at Wexford Racecourse

Wexford Racecourse is about a kilometre west of Wexford town on the Waterford road, directly opposite Wexford General Hospital. Being so close to town means most visitors are within easy reach of it whether they drive, take the train or use the local bus.

By road

The course sits on the Newtown Road, roughly a kilometre from the town centre and signposted as you approach. Coming from further afield on the N25, exit at the New Ross roundabout and head towards Wexford; the racecourse is signposted and lies about a kilometre along on the right.

As a rough guide to journey times by car:

• Dublin: around 1 hour 45 minutes
• Cork: around 2 hours 15 minutes
• Galway: around 3 hours 30 minutes

Parking

There is free parking for around 200 cars in the centre of the course, on a first-come, first-served basis. The car park outside the main gates is reserved for owners and trainers only, so aim for the in-course parking rather than pulling up at the front. On the busier summer evenings and the August meeting the crowds can be large, so arriving in good time is sensible if you want a straightforward space.

By rail

Wexford station is about two kilometres from the course and is served by Irish Rail up to four times a day from Dublin, running via Bray, Wicklow, Gorey and Enniscorthy. From the station you can reach the course on foot, by taxi, or on the Wexford Bus service, which runs up to 17 times a day and stops at nearby Wexford General Hospital right across from the racecourse. The rail service is not frequent, so check the timetable both ways before you set out and give yourself a comfortable margin for the first race.

By bus

The Wexford Bus service that stops at Wexford General Hospital is the handiest public-transport link to the course, given the hospital sits directly opposite. With up to 17 services a day it is more frequent than the train, and it is a short step from the hospital stop to the racecourse gates.

By air

Dublin Airport is the nearest reliable commercial airport, roughly two hours away by road. Waterford Airport is closer, but has had restricted services, so Dublin is the safer bet for anyone flying in and planning to drive down.

Wexford is a compact course, which makes it easy to get your bearings on a first visit. Once you have parked in the centre of the course or come in through the main gates, the stands, bars and parade area are all close together rather than spread across a large site, so you are rarely far from the action or the facilities.

The one piece of layout that surprises newcomers is the winning post. Since the 2015 reconfiguration, when the direction of racing was switched to left-handed and the track reshaped, the winning line sits beyond the spectator stands, off to the right. If you plant yourself in the stands expecting the finish to be square in front of you, look to your right for the line instead. The run-in from the final flight or fence is short, less than a furlong, so the closing stages come quickly once horses turn for home.

The track itself is undulating and roughly rectangular, and the finish is slightly uphill. The hurdles course runs on the inside of the chase course. None of this is essential to enjoying the day, but it helps to know where to point your eyes when the field swings into the straight.

For the finer detail of stand layout, entrances and the exact position of the parade ring, the course's own site at wexfordraces.ie is the best reference, and the staff on the day will point you to the right spot.

Wexford keeps admission refreshingly simple. There is no tiered enclosure system to weigh up: the price is the same for every fixture on the calendar, and one general admission ticket gives you the run of the public areas, the stands and the parade area.

What it costs

As an indicative guide, general admission is around €15 for adults, with about €10 for OAPs and students, and children under 14 admitted free. These prices apply across all fixtures rather than rising for the bigger days. Treat the figures as a guide and confirm with the course before you travel, as prices can change.

Standard admission is bought on the day at the gate; there is no pre-booking for ordinary tickets, so there is nothing to arrange in advance if all you want is to get in and watch the racing.

The All-In package

If you would rather make more of the day, the All-In Ticket Package costs around €30 and is pre-booked by phone. It combines admission with a two-course meal in the Ivy Room, the course's principal bar and restaurant, which takes the guesswork out of where to eat and gives you a table for the afternoon or evening. As with all prices here, treat it as indicative and confirm the current rate with the course.

Racing Club membership

Regular visitors may find the Supporters Club, now the Racing Club, worth a look. Membership costs around €100 and covers all 11 of Wexford's annual fixtures plus nine reciprocal meetings at other courses. It also brings access to the private Supporters' Club Bar, complimentary hot drinks, a racecard, and one free two-course meal in the Ivy Room during the membership. For anyone planning several trips a year it can work out well against paying at the gate each time, though again it is worth confirming the current terms directly with the course.

Wexford does not publish a current crowd capacity or annual attendance figure, so it is best not to put a firm number on the size of the crowd you will join. What the record does show is that the busiest fixtures pull big turnouts: the summer Friday-evening meetings and the two-day August meeting frequently draw sell-out crowds. For a sense of scale, the very first meeting at Bettyville in 1951 drew an estimated 17,000 spectators, though modern footfall figures are not made public.

Detail	Figure
Stated crowd capacity	n/a (not published)
Current annual attendance	n/a (not published)
Busiest fixtures	Summer Friday evenings; two-day August meeting

Venue hire and events

Away from the racing, Wexford markets itself as a venue for corporate events, hen and stag parties and other celebrations. The Ivy Room is the principal bar and restaurant, and dining choices and hospitality packages are available for groups.

The course does not comprehensively publish named function or meeting rooms with specific banqueting or theatre capacities, so anyone planning an event should enquire with the course directly for room options, numbers and pricing. Contact details are on the course's own site at wexfordraces.ie.

Wexford has put work into its facilities for all racegoers, and the course states that it has upgraded all of its toilet facilities to a high standard and continues to develop its patron facilities more widely. That is a positive sign for anyone weighing up a visit.

Beyond that, the course does not comprehensively publish the finer detail that disabled visitors often need to plan a trip: accessible parking arrangements, step-free routes around the site, accessible viewing areas, lift provision, and the position on carer or companion tickets are not all set out in the course's published material. Rather than fill those gaps with assumptions, the honest advice is to phone ahead and confirm exactly what is provided before you travel.

The course is contactable on +353 (0)87 3828 099 or by email at info@wexfordraces.ie, and a quick call ahead of a visit is the surest way to have any specific requirement, from a reserved accessible parking space to the best viewing spot, sorted in advance. Given the course sits directly opposite Wexford General Hospital and close to town, getting to the gates is at least straightforward.

Eating and drinking at Wexford centres on the Ivy Room, the course's principal bar and restaurant, which opened in 1998. It is the natural spot for a sit-down meal on a race day, and it is the venue used for the two-course meal included in the All-In Ticket Package and the Racing Club membership.

Beyond the Ivy Room, the course has numerous bars and mobile food outlets dotted around, so you are never far from a drink or something to eat between races without booking anything in advance. Members also have the private Supporters' Club Bar to themselves.

For the betting side of the day, there is a betting shop on course, on-course bookmakers standing in the ring, and Tote facilities, so you have the full range of ways to have a bet whether you prefer the fixed prices of the ring or the pool betting of the Tote.

Dining choices and hospitality packages are available for groups and celebrations, which suits the parties and corporate outings the course caters for. If you are booking hospitality for a group, contact the course directly for the current package options and prices, and treat any figures quoted elsewhere as indicative until you have confirmed them. As a reminder, the one pre-bookable dining option built into a ticket is the All-In package at around €30, which pairs admission with a two-course Ivy Room meal.

Wexford runs around 11 fixtures a year between March and November, and because admission costs the same whatever the day, the choice comes down to the kind of atmosphere you want. You can have a perfectly good, unhurried afternoon at an ordinary fixture. The days to build a trip around, though, are the seasonal set-pieces below.

Fixture	When	Why go
St Patrick's Day meeting	Tuesday 17 March 2026	The popular season-opener, a festive start to the racing year
Summer Friday evenings	Selected Fridays, summer	Lively, sell-out evening crowds and a sociable atmosphere
Two-day August meeting	Early August (7 and 8 August 2026)	The big summer draw, including a Ladies Day around late August
Autumn Festival	October bank-holiday weekend	The quality highlight, headlined by the Listed Hickey Memorial Chase

The season-opener

The calendar opens with a well-attended St Patrick's Day fixture, which in 2026 falls on Tuesday 17 March. It is a natural first outing of the year and carries a bit of national-holiday atmosphere.

Summer Friday evenings

The summer Friday-evening meetings are Wexford at its most sociable. These fixtures frequently sell out and have a relaxed, after-work feel, which makes them a strong pick for a group or a first visit when the emphasis is on the occasion as much as the racing. Confirmed 2026 summer dates include Friday 3 July and the early-August pair.

The August meeting

The two-day August meeting is the biggest summer draw, another regular sell-out, and it includes a Ladies Day around late August. In 2026 the August dates are Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August. If you want the fullest crowd and the most going on, this is the meeting to aim for.

The Autumn Festival

For the best racing, the Autumn Festival over the October bank-holiday weekend is the quality highlight of the Wexford year. It is headlined by the Listed M. W. Hickey Memorial Chase, the most valuable race at the course, run in late October. This is the day the better horses turn up, so it rewards anyone who wants to see a stronger card.

All dates and fixtures are worth confirming against the current Horse Racing Ireland calendar before you commit, as details can change.

Wexford is relaxed about dress. There are no formal rules on what to wear, and smart-casual is the norm across the course on an ordinary fixture. You will not be turned away for keeping things comfortable, and there is no enclosure with a stricter code to catch you out.

The one day that invites a bit more effort is the August Ladies Day, when dressing up is encouraged and a good proportion of the crowd makes an occasion of it. If you are going to that fixture and want to join in, this is the day to bring out something smarter.

Whatever the forecast, dress for a jumps course in the Irish south-east. The course is on the coast, overlooking Wexford Harbour, so a breeze off the water is likely and the weather can turn between races. A warm layer and something waterproof are sensible year-round, and comfortable footwear is worth having on grass rather than heels that will sink into soft ground. Beyond that, wear what you are happy standing about in for an afternoon or evening, and save the effort for Ladies Day if dressing up is your thing.

If you cannot get to Wexford in person, the racing is shown on Racing TV, which holds the coverage through Racecourse Media Group. That is the day-to-day home for Wexford's fixtures rather than free-to-air television, so a subscription is the usual way to watch from home.

Streaming is available through a Racing TV subscription and, for account holders, through bookmaker platforms, which typically show live racing to customers with a funded account or a qualifying bet. Either route lets you follow a card you cannot attend.

Watching at home is also a low-cost way to get a feel for the sharp, undulating Wexford track before a first visit, so you know what you are looking at when you do go. Check the current subscription and streaming details with Racing TV or your bookmaker, as availability and terms can change.

A first trip to Wexford is easy to get right, because the course is small, close to town and simply priced. A few pointers will help the day run smoothly.

• Arrive in good time on the big days. The summer Friday evenings and the August meeting often sell out, and the free in-course parking for around 200 cars goes on a first-come basis, so getting there early saves a scramble for a space.
• Head for the in-course parking, not the front gates. The car park outside the main gates is for owners and trainers only. The parking to aim for is in the centre of the course.
• Buy standard admission on the day. There is no need to pre-book ordinary tickets. If you want the All-In package with an Ivy Room meal, that one is booked ahead by phone.
• Know where the finish is. The winning post sits beyond the stands to the right, a quirk of the 2015 rebuild, so look right for the line rather than straight ahead.
• Dress for the coast. With the harbour alongside, a breeze and a change in the weather are likely; bring a layer and something waterproof, and save dressing up for the August Ladies Day.

A word on betting. Anything in this guide is descriptive, not advice. Wexford is a sharp, left-handed track that tends to suit prominent, early-pace runners, but that is a feature of the course, not a way to make money. Over time the bookmakers' margin wins, and backing favourites does not show a profit. Set a budget you are happy to lose, treat a bet as part of the entertainment, and stop there.

Beyond that, there is a betting shop, on-course bookmakers and the Tote if you want a bet, plenty of bars and food outlets between races, and the town a kilometre away if you want to make more of the trip.

One of Wexford's advantages is that the town is right there, about a kilometre from the course, so turning a race day into a longer trip is straightforward. Wexford town centre offers hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs within a short distance of the racecourse, which makes it easy to stay over rather than drive home after an evening fixture. For the busiest dates, the summer Friday evenings and the August meeting, it is worth booking accommodation ahead, as those crowds fill the town.

There is plenty to fill the rest of the day nearby. The Wexford quays and harbour are on the doorstep, giving the town its waterside character and the racecourse its harbour views. A little further out, the Irish National Heritage Park is a well-known local attraction, and the coastal beaches of the sunny south-east are within easy reach for anyone making a weekend of it.

Between the town's places to stay, the harbour and the coast, Wexford lends itself to a short break built around the racing rather than a there-and-back afternoon. Check opening times and book accommodation directly, especially around the peak fixtures.