Overview

You will begin with a delicious breakfast in Orby's restaurant at The Curragh Racecourse, this will sustain you for the wonderful 'Behind The Scenes' tour you are about to embark on. Starting in the depths of the grandstand, in the Jockeys Changing Room, you will discover what a day at the races is like from the perspective of a professional jockey. From here we will follow their route to the Weigh Room, where we will explain the procedures and rules jockeys must adhere to before and after every race, before handing over their saddle to their racehorse trainer. With a saddle in hand, we will follow in the footsteps of a racehorse to the saddling area in the Pre-Parade Ring where we will tack up a mannequin racehorse. Here we will explain the some of the equipment used for racing as well as the unique attributes that make the thoroughbred racehorse one of nature’s wonders. Once our racehorse is tacked up, we will proceed from the Pre-Parade Ring to the Parade Ring where owners meet their trainer and jockey before each race. Finally, we will guide you to the top floor of the grandstand to our fine dining restaurant, a VIP area on race days, where you will experience the stunning views from the balcony overlooking the racetrack and gallops below. From here you may see racehorses exercising on the gallops below, following in the hoof prints of so many champions trained on the Curragh training grounds. In summary, this is one of Ireland’s most unique tours. You will learn how an indigenous Irish, multi-billion euro industry, at its core, relies on the superior ability of human senses to assess and judge equine talent to deliver success over any known scientific metrics.