Cork Races Today – See Cork Tips from Mallow Track
It’s a little known fact that Cork races today at Mallow are the only venue in the county to host horse racing under Rules in this part of Ireland. One of the southernmost tracks in the Emerald Isle, it has both National Hunt racing and Flat racing taking place on 21 different days throughout the year.
Although some distance from Cork city, Mallow Racecourse still brings crowds in from the south and west of Ireland for its big days. This page is all about the best of the action from the track. We also provide Cork tips on the races of interest while we’re at it.
History of Cork Racecourse
The sport of horse racing in County Cork dates back to at least 1752 when there is evidence of the first steeplechases taking place over four miles between the market town of Buttevant and Doneraile to the north of Mallow. In those days of course, there wasn’t a track laid out for races, but horses ran across the countryside.
Tall local landmarks like the St John’s Church Steeple in Buttevant and St Mary’s Church Steeple in Doneraile gave riders starting and finish points. By the Twentieth Century, everyone involved with Cork races could see the need for and value in a proper course. The track on Killarney Road outside Mallow town, some 35km north of the county city, then opened in 1924.
Despite more than a century at its current venue, the programme of Irish Flat and National Hunt racing from Cork is actually quite modern. Most of the big races had their inaugural editions in either the late 1990s or early 2000s. Lengthening the Straight Course from just hosting five-furlong sprints to seven furlongs commenced in 2017 and was soon completed.
Is Cork Races Today Flat or Jumps?
There’s both codes of racing under Rules at Cork Racecourse Mallow. During the winter months, the jumps course is in use. Overlap occurs at Easter when the track’s festival has both Flat thoroughbreds and jumpers in action. From that point on in the calendar year until autumn, it’s all about the level.
Besides, the seven-furlong Straight Course, there is both an inner circuit and outer circuit with a full lap of about a mile-and-a-quarter and mile-and-a-half respectively. Horses race right-handed, that is in a clockwise direction, around Cork. Both tracks are pretty level and flat, but fair and do still suit galloping types.
The inner course has both Flat and hurdle races on it with six flights on a complete circuit. Three of these are down the back with the other line of three in the home straight. Steeplechasing action takes place on the outer course, meanwhile, and there are eight fences on a complete circuit.
After a cross fence down the side of the track, there’s a line of three in the back straight. The last of these is an open ditch. There’s then another cross fence before the home turn. The middle one in another line of three before the winning post is also a ditch.
Key Cork Racecourse Fixtures & Meetings
As Cork races today pretty much all year round with the exception of a meeting in February, we think it’s best to focus our racing tips on the major meetings at Mallow really. There are a few fixtures to note.
Both jumps and Flat racing take place during the Easter Festival here, which can fall in either March or April depending on when the Holiday Weekend is. The Group 3 Munster Oaks in June is a big day for the track over the summer.
Their Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase day in December is the main one for the National Hunt code, meanwhile. This also has a graded mares only novice chase and staying novice hurdle on the card. Other race meetings you need to know about here include the Cork Derby in May, the Give Thanks Stakes in August and the Cork Grand National in October or November.
The Best Races We Provide Cork Tips on
There are only five Cork races today across both codes with a first prize worth more than €30,000, but that’s more than a lot of courses in Ireland can provide in terms of money for winning. Besides looking at those in more detail, we’ve information about selected other events at the track for your reference.
Hilly Way Chase
A Grade 2 steeplechase over two miles and a furlong taking place in December. Inaugurated in 2001, the Hilly Way has been framed by County Carlow trainer Willie Mullins throughout his illustrious career saddling 11 different horses to a record 16 wins in the race.
Golden Silver and Energumene managed three victories apiece between, but some of the stable’s big guns like Douvan and Un De Sceaux also appear on the roll of honour. Mullins mounts will always be the starting point for horse racing tips on Cork here.
Gordon Elliott broke up his great rival’s monopoly on the Hilly Way in 2025, however, when the race-fit Found A Fifty held off Majborough and Energumene, who tried to win it for a fourth time. Connections picked up €59,000 in prize money here.
Mallow Handicap
A Premier Handicap using the new straight seven furlongs course introduced in 2019 as a supporting race for the Munster Oaks card in June. Before 2025, the Mallow Handicap was only open to older horses (aged four and up), but three-year-olds can now take part.
Smart Cork race tips must accept potential draw bias here with the most success coming from middle and high gates. Like the Hilly Way, first prize in the Mallow Handicap (formerly the Straight Seven Handicap) is €59,000.
Give Thanks Stakes
A Group 3 Flat race for fillies and mares aged three and up over a mile-and-a-half in August. Inaugurated in 2003, Dermot Weld holds the record with eight victories as a trainer including consecutive editions with Tarnawa.
Despite those exploits, Cork tips today also has to consider any females saddled by Paddy Twomey, who has three wins in the last four years. His latest success came courtesy of Elana Osario in 2025, who received prize money of €38,350 for landing the Give Thanks.
Munster Oaks
Another Group 3 on the Flat for fillies and mares aged three and up at a mile-and-a-half, but in June. This is where things get a little bit confusing, though, as the Munster Oaks only had this as its name from 2014 onwards.
Originally contested at Naas races, it moved to Mallow in 2005, but was then called the Noblesse Stakes. There is a separate event at Cork with that name now, but it’s run in April.
Aidan O’Brien has six victories in the Munster Oaks, but it’s Paddy Twomey again who is the trainer all Cork racing tips should follow here after three wins in the last four. Rosscarbery was responsible for two of those, but Magical Hope added €35,400 in prize money in 2025.
Polonia Stakes
A Listed sprint race over five-and-a-half furlongs restricted to three-year-old fillies on the first Sunday in May just the day after the Punchestown Festival finishes. Although only introduced in 2018, English trainers have made successful raids on the Polonia three times.
Good tips for Cork today should again remember the bias here against horses drawn low. As with the Mallow Handicap, it is those jumping from middle or high gate numbers that have fared best. First place in 2025 came with almost €31,000 in prize money when William Haggas saddled First Instinct to a head victory.
Noblesse Stakes
Inaugurated at Leopardstown races in 2015, this transferred to Cork races in 2017. The current Noblesse Stakes is a Listed event for older fillies and mares (aged four and up) over a mile-and-a-half in April. That means if the Easter Festival falls right, this race is part of it at Mallow.
Four trainers have won the race more than once, so Cork horse racing tips must consider stables who their runners forward and ready to go early on in the Flat season. Bubble Gum won for Paddy Twomey in 2025 and picked up prize money of €29,500 in the process.
Cork Grand National
A Listed handicap chase for horses not rated above 150 in either late October or early November over three-and-a-half miles. It is the County Cork region’s equivalent of the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in the spring.
Stamina is obviously the key factor with any Cork tips here with race taking place at such a long distance. It’s one of many such “regional Nationals” that happen at different tracks across the island of Ireland right through the year.
This one is relatively early in the core part of the National Hunt season, though. The Cork Grand National starts on the side of the track before the home turn with two complete circuits of the jumps course. First prize is €26,550.
Navigation Stakes
Formerly contested over a mile and open to older horses, this Listed contest is now for three-year-olds only at an extended mile-and-a-quarter at the end of September or beginning of October. Purview won the first edition of the revamped Navigation Stakes, picking up €26,550 in prize money in 2025.
Cork Derby
A Premier Handicap for older horses aged four and up over a mile-and-a-half in May. Those drawn in middle and high stalls have fared based in recent times here, so Cork racing tips today should reflect that. First prize in 2025 was also €26,550.
Easter Handicap Hurdle
This used to be a Listed race, but is now just an ordinary handicap hurdle at the Easter Festival over two miles and three furlongs. Seven-year-olds have a good recent record in the Easter Handicap Hurdle, which also has prize money of €26,550 for winning it.
Other Cork Races of Note
There are plenty more events from Mallow besides the above ten. Additional Listed races taking place at the track are the Cork Stakes in April, Midsummer Sprint on Munster Oaks day, and Platinum Stakes during the Give Thanks card in August. These are all sprints.
Speaking of those, the Doneraile Handicap is another contest using the Straight Course in July and always run at a fierce gallop. There aren’t any top level handicaps over jumps at Cork really, but the Kinsale Handicap Chase in October over two miles and a furlong was once worth €30,000 for winning.
Later that same month, there are the Listed Cork EBF Novice Hurdle over an extended three miles and Grade 3 Cork EBF Novice Chase over two-and-a-half miles. At Easter, meanwhile, the Imperial Call Chase also has Grade 3 status and a distance of three miles.
Some of the best Cork horse tips around focus on the Hilly Way day undercard, however. The Grade 2 Put The Kettle On Mares Novice Chase (formerly the Lombardstown) uses the same course and distance as the big race. Alongside this, there’s also the Grade 3 Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle.
FAQs
Is Cork races on today?
There are 21 different race days from Cork each and evert year. We provide full tipping coverage and a racing results service for every single one of those here.
Where is Cork Racecourse?
The track is actually outside the town of Mallow on Killarney Road. This is 35km north of Cork city centre. As Cork Airport is the other side of the county seat, there’s a 45km journey for anyone jetting in from Cork to Mallow.
Why give free Cork tips?
The tips are free, because we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to gather all the relevant data. These are then fed into computer algorithms, which produce the selections.
Where can I find Cork races results?
As noted above, Racing Tipster has you covered here. We provide full Cork races today results for every single meeting from this track, and all others in the UK and Ireland.
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