Conventional wisdom says the best thoroughbred racehorses come from Ireland. If that’s the case, then there should also be a top gambling product to match. That’s why we look over the best horse racing betting sites in Ireland right now.
Our team of experts on this great sport assess and review leading online platforms for horse racing bets. You can then see how they compare to one another. We also reveal our method for ranking bookies and provide some sound strategic advice for better wagering.
Betovo
5
100% up to €250
- Ongoing Cashback & Reloads
- Easy to use Bet Builder
- Bet on Gaelic football
Winsane
4.8
100% up to €250
- Acca bonus up to 100%
- Bet Mentor tool for the best bets
- Live streaming for big events
Cashwin
4.6
100% up to €250
- Use short-term flash markets
- Regular Reload bonuses
- Bet on virtual and eSports
Cobrabet
4.6
100% up to €100 in Free Bets + 50 Free Spins
- Bet on Irish Premier Division Football
- Early Cash Out feature
- Live streaming and stats
Greatwin
4.5
100% up to €100
- Boosted Odds & Cashback deals
- 30+ sports to bet on
- 1,000 individual betting options
Rtbet
4.4
100% up to €100
- 50% Weekly Reload bonuses
- Live Betting on top sports
- Bet on Padel, MMA, Greyhounds
Powbet
4.3
100% up to €100
- Win up to €1,500 0n sports tournaments
- Participate in weekly challenges
- Excellent range of horse race betting
Quickwin
4.2
100% up to €100
- Wide range of tournaments
- 13 virtual sports to bet on
- Weekly 50% reload bonus
Zodiacbet
4.2
100% up to €200
- Superpot football promos
- Live betting for 10 sports
- Excellent horse racing betting
Pribet
4.2
100% up to €200
- 25+ sports to bet on
- High-quality Live streaming
- Full Cash Out feature
Top Irish Horse Racing Bookmakers at a Glance
| Top Online Bookmakers for Horse Racing | Paddy Power |
| Best for Horse Racing Promos | Betfred |
| Top Choice for Additional Features | Ladbrokes |
| Most Extra Place Races Available | QuinnBet |
| Best Horse Racing Betting App | BoyleSports |
| Top of New Online Horse Racing Betting Sites | Midnite |
| Early Best Odds Guaranteed Deal | Coral |
| Best Horse Racing Live Streaming Service | William Hill |
Best Irish Horse Racing Betting Sites by Category
Quick out of the gate, we now head straight into reviews of our top Irish horse racing bookies. Each of the following firms provides outstanding coverage in a different area of what our experts consider to be essential for the best gambling experience.
Ireland’s Number 1 Choice: Paddy Power
Online betting sites in Ireland don’t come any bigger than Paddy Power. As sponsors of major races over jumps and on the Flat, they also put plenty back into the sport at home and in Britain. Paddy Power’s Racing Money Back Tokens provide you with the option of losing stakes back as a free bet up to €10 if your horse finishes second, third or fourth in a race of your choosing.
Not only that, but Power Prices boost the odds on selected runners to win or finish placed as singles, doubles and even trebles. These even extend to same race multis, forecasts and more. Their Best Odds Guaranteed deal is an 8am start on the day for all Irish and UK meetings, meanwhile. You can request bets on social media through #WhatOddsPaddy as well.
Extra Place Races are common at Paddy Power, so each-way punters can consider themselves catered for too. Brand ambassadors include legendary jockeys Ruby Walsh and Mick Fitzgerald. Live stream all the action in the Emerald Isle and beyond. It’s an obvious case for Paddy Power being first past the post in Ireland.
- Money Back tokens for races of your choice
- High-profile racing ambassador columns
- Early Best Odds Guaranteed deal from 8am
Most Horse Racing Offers: Betfred
Known as The Bonus King, Betfred lives up to that moniker and then some. Although based out of Warrington in the northwest of England, they currently sponsor all five British Classic Flat races including the Epsom Derby. Deals and promotions lie at the heart of what Betfred is all about.
Their range of offers puts most other horse racing betting sites to shame quite frankly. Such deals include their Lucky Bonuses on combination and system bets, which you can also get multiplied odds for if just one horse from such wagers wins, and 10% extra winnings paid in cash on selected races. Regular price boosts are easily spotted too.
The number of Extra Place Races on offer at Betfred is right up there with any competitors, meanwhile. Look out for a 10% extra winnings Tricast Bonus as well with Best Odds Guaranteed in effect from 8am on race days. Not only are Betfred one of the best bookies for live streaming of international races, but they always have an early non-runner no bet deal relating to the Cheltenham Festival.
- Huge range of horse racing special offers
- Now sponsors of all five British Classics
- Bonus King bookie with extra cash winnings
Top Choice for Additional Features: Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes are one of the biggest horse racing bookies in Britain, but also very popular and active in Ireland. They sponsor Irish races during the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, alongside Paddy Power. Look out for everything you would expect from a gambling industry leader and more besides.
On top of a daily odds boost for horses, BOG from 8am and Extra Place Races, there are some cool additional features you need to know about from Ladbrokes. Track your favourite horses with Stable Mates, a feature which allows you to add horses of interest and get notifications when they are next due to race on the track.
More daily rewards come your way through Ladbucks with real cash prizes and free bets available for you to use on horse racing after a successful spin of the wheel. Like many other firms, a full suite of ante post markets is at your fingertips thanks to Ladbrokes on the sport of kings.
- Stable Mates a cool extra feature
- Daily horse racing odds boost
- BOG & Extra Places start early
Most Extra Place Races Available: QuinnBet
Following through on a promise to provide Extra Place Races every day are QuinnBet. Their sponsorship of Irish racing has a greater presence than ever with events at the Punchestown Festival and during Irish Guineas Weeknd just a couple of many examples. Their range of special offers almost rivals Betfred, meanwhile.
Like their British counterparts, these Irish horse racing bookmakers have a Money Back as a free bet if 2nd to the SP favourite deal and a 10% winnings boost on Tricasts. QuinnBet goes further, however, in extending the latter offer to cover Forecast bets and Yankees for lovers of horse racing multiples.
Alongside this are a good crop of daily offers including Acca Bonus and Acca Insurance deals. Besides the opportunity of earning free bets each day, their Best Odds Guaranteed promotion comes into effect later than other firms with a 10am start. Despite this, there is still so much to like about QuinnBet.
- Yankees, Tricast & Forecast winnings boosts
- Regular daily deals, offers & promotions
- Money Back as a free bet if 2nd to fav
Best of New Online Horse Racing Betting Sites: Midnite
One of the new kids on the block, Midnite offers daily specials on horse racing and rewards you can only view when logged in to your betting account with them. They also provide live streaming from meetings around the world, so you can bet and watch how your fancied runners do.
When wagering with new online bookmakers, it’s best if punters don’t bring the same expectations they have compared to an established brand. Midnite can’t compete with the big boys in areas like BOG and Extra Place Races, but do still have non-runner no bet terms available.
What you get through them right now is a foundation upon which they can build in future. Midnite keeps their horse racing separate from the rest of their online sportsbook, yet still provides access to it from the sidebar menu. That tells us plenty of thought has gone into this embryonic product.
- Regular rewards for punters when you log in
- Live streaming of domestic & international races
- Daily horse racing specials, doubles & boosts
How we Rank Horse Racing Bookies
As promised, we said we would reveal the criteria that goes into rating the horse racing betting websites above. In order for these to be top in the opinion of our experts, they must excel in each of the following areas:
Cash Out
We all change our minds about things in life, and the same can sometimes be said of horses we back. Having the option to do that and partially and/or fully cash out wagers from the bookies is essential these days.
Horse Racing Odds
A basic and obvious metric, but one that lies at the core of betting. You want the top prices available most often when wagering on horses, so you feel like you’re getting some value when you take a punt.
Offers & Promotions
Punters can expect a wide range of deals on horse racing available through the best bookies. We’re talking accumulator bonuses, BOG, Extra Places, money back as a free bet, NRNB and price boosts here.
Deposit Methods
How you fund your gambling shouldn’t be overlooked. Choice is again key. Top bookmakers allow you to deposit from traditional banking methods, but also digitally friendly eWallets and make withdrawals too.
Live Streaming
It’s only fair and right, having bet on a horse, that you can see how it does on the track. All decent horse race betting sites provide free live streams of UK and Irish racing, plus international events.
Special Features
Never underestimate the importance of something more. Whether it’s digital racecards with form figures and information about the horses or a tracker for your favourite runners, special features play a part.
How the Best Betting Sites for Horse Racing Compare
Reviews are all well and good, but we understand some people take information in differently. Visual learners can benefit from seeing how our recommended horse racing bookmakers directly compare to one another. The table below shows precisely that:
| Bookie | Live Streaming | Extra Places | Cash Out | BOG |
| Paddy Power | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 8am |
| Betfred | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 8am |
| BoyleSports | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 8am |
| Coral | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 8am |
| Ladbrokes | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 8am |
| William Hill | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 8am |
| QuinnBet | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 10am |
| Midnite | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Mr Play | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Betiton | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
The Importance of New Horse Racing Betting Sites
If you like to bet, then chances are you’ve got an account with some or most of the established bookmaker brands already. We mean you if you’ve previously signed up to the likes of Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, Betfred and William Hill.
If that’s the case, then it’s time to consider some of the newcomers in the marketplace. While Midnite and other fresh faces on the scene perhaps don’t go quite so far and offer so much as the big boys, there are sign up offers available to you as new customers. More on those in a moment.
Another advantage to having accounts with new horse racing betting sites is the extra access that comes with it. Staying blindly loyal to a firm might not pay, if better odds are available elsewhere. You have more of the market at your disposal through a blend of established and new betting brands.
According to IHRB statistics, more than €140,000,000 was wagered on-course and also generated in off-course duty for horse racing in 2024. This marked increase off the track is largely down to Irish punters betting online.
Horse Racing Promotions & Special Offers for Irish Punters
It’s only to be expected that all of the best horse racing betting sites have deals to attract new customers and keep existing ones onside. Such offers can often be a decisive factor in whether punters wager on a race at all.
If, for example, more places are available for each-way betting purposes with a particular firm than their competitors, then that naturally appeals to customers. Starting with what the bookies do to secure new business, we now look over the most popular promotions in the sport.
Horse Racing Betting Offers for New Customers
Bookmakers are always looking out for fresh acquisitions. They give new customers incentives to join their horse race betting sites with sign up offers and welcome bonuses. Such deals fall into one of these three main types:
- Enhanced Price – Massively boosted odds for a fancied runner to win a big race. Rarely seen these days, but was popular in the past.
- Deposit Bonus – Use one of the accepted eligible deposit methods to fund your account when opening it and receive free bets.
- Bet & Get Deals – Sign up, make a deposit and place a qualifying bet, then receive a bonus issued either placing the wager or when it’s settled.
Acca Boost & Acca Insurance
Bonuses attached to multiples like accumulators, combination and system bets fall into one of two categories. There are either boosts in the form of enhanced odds or additional winnings paid on top, or Acca Insurance, which refunds losing stakes as a free bet if one leg lets you down.
All of Betfred, BoyleSports and QuinnBet have deals relating to either increasing what accumulators and other multiples could pay if you pull them off. The latter pair of firms also provide Acca Insurance for punters. Betfred have a One Winner Bonus for combination and system bets, meanwhile.
Best Odds Guaranteed
From a certain time onwards during race days, once you back a horse, you receive the Starting Price (SP) if that happens to be bigger odds. That is how Best Odds Guaranteed works. Individual bookies have different maximum daily payout limits with BOG.
Look out for firms who bring the guarantee into effect from 8am on all UK and Irish racing action. Among those to do so are Betfred, BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill.
Extra Place Races
Integral for each-way betting purposes, horse racing betting sites in Ireland often offer better than industry standard place terms on bigger fields. This is to encourage you to wager on competitive races. If such bets pay out on fourth and fifth place, then that’s attractive to punters.
Extra Place Races may reduce the fraction of outright win odds from a quarter to a fifth, but that’s a small price to pay if there’s an outsider you fancy to run well and make the frame. Any decent firm will have some additional places on on offer for you,
Money-Back Offers
Bookmakers do issue refunds either as a free bet or cash up to set amounts in the event that the horse you back loses and meets certain conditions. These include finishing second to the SP favourite or placed in the first four without winning.
Paddy Power have Money Back Tokens to use on a race of your choice for stakes up to €10. BoyleSports, meanwhile, have selected meetings where if your horse finishes second to the SP favourite, you receive a free bet. Minimum runners in races apply to both deals.
Non-Runner No Bet
Once a race is declared, you should get a run for your money or your stake back in full as cash. That is a governing principle of all horse racing betting websites in Ireland. It is known as non-runner no bet (NRNB). Any bookie offers this to you as standard.
Where some firms go above and beyond with NRNB is when they provide it in the ante-post market for major events like Cheltenham, the Grand National and Royal Ascot. Such a deal, which Betfred, Paddy Power and William Hill operate every winter from January onwards for the Cheltenham Festival, lets you wager up to a couple of months early on big races.
Price Boosts
Also called Bet Boosts or Odds Boosts, the concept is an enhanced price on a particular runner or multiple horses in the same or different races. Plenty of betting firms name the horses, but Ladbrokes and William Hill let you increase the odds for a selection of your choice every day.
Paddy Power’s Power Prices, meanwhile, involve certain runners either winning or finishing placed in the race in question. Betfred also push particular horses with Price Boosts a common occurrence through bookmakers in relation to horse racing.
Biggest Horse Racing Events & Festivals to Bet on
Irish racing is just a small part of this global sport with over 62,000 attending Leopardstown’s four-day Christmas Festival in 2024. Major meetings take place in the neighbouring UK, across the Atlantic in the USA, in mainland Europe and even further afield. Check out these main events:
| Meeting | Where | Major Race(s) | When |
| Dublin Racing Festival | Leopardstown | Irish Gold Cup, Irish Champion Hurdle | January / February |
| Cheltenham Festival | Cheltenham | Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup | March |
| Dubai World Cup Night | Meydan, UAE | Dubai World Cup, Sheema Classic | Mach / April |
| Irish Grand National | Fairyhouse | Irish Grand National | Easter Monday |
| Aintree Grand National | Aintree | Grand National | April |
| Punchestown Festival | Punchestown | Punchestown Champion Chase, Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle | April / May |
| Newmarket Guineas Festival | Newmarket | 2000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas | May |
| Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs, USA | Kentucky Derby | May |
| Irish Guineas Weekend | Curragh | Irish 2000 Guineas, Tattersalls Gold Cup, Irish 1000 Guineas | May |
| Epsom Derby | Epsom Downs | The Oaks, Coronation Cup, The Derby | June |
| Royal Ascot | Ascot | Queen Anne Stakes, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot Gold Cup | June |
| Irish Derby Festival | Curragh | Pretty Polly Stakes, Irish Derby | June / July |
| July Festival | Newmarket | Falmouth Stakes, July Cup | July |
| Irish Oaks Weekend | Curragh | Irish Oaks | July |
| Galway Races | Galway | Galway Hurdle, Galway Plate | July / August |
| Glorious Goodwood | Goodwood | Goodwood Cup, Sussex Stakes, Nassau Stakes | July / August |
| Ebor Festival | York | Juddmonte International Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks, Nunthorpe Stakes, Ebor Handicap | August |
| Irish Champions Festival | Leopardstown & Curragh | Irish Champion Stakes, Matron Stakes, Irish St Leger, Flying Five Stakes | September |
| Arc Weekend | ParisLongchamp, France | Prix du Cadran, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe | October |
| Breeders’ Cup | Varies, USA | Breeders’ Cup Classic, Breeders’ Cup Turf | November |
| Melbourne Spring Carnival | Flemington, Australia | Melbourne Cup | November |
| Christmas Festivals | Leopardstown & Limerick | Savills Chase, Christmas Hurdle, December Hurdle, Faugheen Novice Chase | December |
Effective Horse Racing Strategies That Work
It’s more or less impossible to back the winner every time you bet on horses. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways of approaching this sport where you can improve your chances of success, though. We have some sound advice from our experts that can help you do better.
There are no guarantees of making the right call, of course, but the suggested strategies make sense if you follow them. Human error or a shock result aren’t elements anyone can entirely eradicate, but you should do well more often than not when heeding guidance and counsel.
Most Popular Horse Racing Betting Markets
- Win – plain and simple, where you back a horse to finish first in a race.
- Each-Way Bet – when you bet on both the horse winning and finishing placed together on the same betslip. The number of places paid out on relates to the number of runners. Your unit stake doubles.
- Place – a wager on the horse finishing placed in the race. This can be a top 2, 3 or 4 finish.
- Ante-Post – any bet made prior to final declarations. You aren’t sure of a run for your money but you often get better odds.
- Forecast – where you wager on two horses in the same race to finish first and second in a certain order. You can also have a Reverse Forecast covering any order with the unit stake doubled.
- Tricast – Just like a Forecast but with three (or more) horses in the same race to finish first, second and third in a specific or any order. Can be reversed, boxed or wheeled.
- Without The Favourite – a wager that effectively removes the favourite from the race. If the horse you bet on wins outright or finishes second to the fav, then it’s treated as a winner either way.
- Combination & System Betting – put multiple horses together on the same betslip in combinations of singles, doubles, trebles and accumulators. Each has a different name like Trixies, Patents, Lucky 15s, Yankees, Lucky 31s and Canadians.
- Distance Betting – when you wager on a named horse to win by a certain margin in lengths.
- Match Betting – a bet on one named horse finishing in front of another in a race. Your pick doesn’t have to win, but just beat the identified rival.
Key Horse Racing Terms You Should Know
All sports have terms and jargon relating to them. Here are some of the most common in horse racing:
- Bar - the minimum price of remaining runners in a race apart from those displayed on a betting show.
- Drifter - a horse whose price expands and gets bigger.
- Favourite - the horse with the shortest odds for a race.
- Minimum Odds - the smallest accepted price for a horse to be compatible with an offer.
- Minimum Runners - a condition for promotions that least so many horses take part in a race.
- Minimum Stake - the smallest amount of money you can wager on a horse for it to be a qualifying bet.
- Non-Runner - when a declared horse doesn’t take part in a race.
- Place Terms - how many places and at what fraction of outright win odds are paid on a race.
- Rule 4 Deduction - if there’s a non-runner at odds of 14/1 or shorter, deductions of 5 cents for every Euro wagered applies to all bets made after final declarations. The shorter the price of the absent horse, then the bigger the deduction size.
- Starting Price - abbreviated to SP, these are the final odds for a horse in the race.
- Steamer - the best-backed horse in a race.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites Conclusion
In conclusion, we’ve demonstrated to you that the best betting sites for horse racing must have a wide range of offers, provide free live streaming, attractive odds, and let you choose to cash out if you want. Extra features and a selection of payment methods are important too. Now that you understand what the top bookies are like, please gamble responsibly with them.
FAQs
What is the best betting site for horse racing?
A matter of opinion, but Paddy Power are our experts’ overall pick as top bookmaker for horse racing coverage in Ireland.
How to bet on horse racing in Ireland?
It’s very simple. Sign up or log in to one of our recommended bookies, then make a deposit if you need funds. After that, visit the horse racing section of the online sportsbook, and track down meetings and races of interest. Add fancied runners to your betslip, enter a stake and place your wagers.
What is the most profitable horse bet?
Accumulators provide the greatest profit, even from small stakes. The downside is that all horses included in such a wager must win in order to receive a payout from bookmakers.
How many places do horse racing betting sites pay out on?
This depends on the number of runners in the race. If there are fewer than five horses taking part, then it is win only. Fewer than eight, but greater than four is two places. Should more than eight runners race, then you receive a minimum of three places.
What is the smartest bet in horse racing?
The each-way market is a smart bet because, although the unit stake doubles, you cover both an outright win for your horse and a place at the same time.
