Dundalk Stadium
| Location | Racecourse Road, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54° 1′ 14.03″ N, 6° 22′ 54.38″ W |
| Date opened | 2003 |
| Race type | horse & greyhound racing |
| Official website | |
Dundalk Stadium is a horse and greyhound racing venue in Ireland. It is located to the north of Dundalk in County Louth.
The total build cost €35million with a modern grandstand, elevated viewing areas, restaurant and bars.
The Dundalk all-weather horse track to go alongside the new greyhound track that had opened earlier, officially opened on 26 August 2007 costing a further €24million.
The course is a floodlit 1¼ mile left-handed oval, and races are run on an all-weather Polytrack surface.
A turf racecourse at Dundalk, which was mainly used for National Hunt events, was closed in 2001. The present all-weather track, reserved for flat races, was opened in August 2007. The highest class horse race to be run at the venue is the Diamond Stakes, which was promoted from Listed to Group 3 status in 2009.
In 1999 the Dundalk Race Company PLC and Dundealgan Greyhound Racing Company Limited merged to form Dundalk Racing (1999) Ltd. This would allow a new horse racing circuit to be built over the existing turf course and a greyhound track inside the main course. The previous Dundalk Ramparts Greyhound Stadium was closed on 20 November 2000 during which time the horse racecourse was undergoing major changes and despite resistance from the Horseracing Authority both sides were encouraged by the success of Paschal Taggart's Shelbourne Park venture.
The Irish racing scene was experiencing some promising growth and Dundalk officially opened their new Dundalk Stadium on 29 November 2003 to the cost of €11 million. The minister for sport John O'Donoghue conducted the opening honours and thanks were given by CEO Jim Martin to Paschal Taggart chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board for their help.
The track measures 550 yards in circumference providing a galloping circuit as opposed to the previous tight circuit of 440 yards. The kennels are located in a renovated building that was formerly the Tote for the racecourse but plans for a new eighty runner complex are in motion.
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