Listowel
National Hunt
The Island, Listowel, County Kerry · seven September days in a bend of the River Feale
Turf
Left-Handed
Festival Island
Track Breakdown
Listowel doesn’t spread its racing across a season — it hoards it. The entire annual programme is two windows: a short Whit meeting in June (the course’s own site says two days in one place and lists three in another) and then the Harvest Festival, seven consecutive September days that stand second only to Galway in Irish festival attendance. The 2022 festival drew 25,700 on Kerry National day and 27,232 for Ladies Day. Racing here began on 5–6 October 1858 as a low-key two-day affair and grew in documented steps — three days from 1862, four from 1970, five from 1977, seven from 2002.
The prehistory is wilder. The meeting descends from an annual gathering at Ballyeigh Strand near Ballybunion that combined games, horse racing and a pre-arranged faction fight — until the notorious battle of 24 June 1834, when the Cooleens and the Lawlors met three thousand strong. Accounts of the death toll vary enormously, from around a dozen to two hundred, and this page won’t pick a number; what’s agreed is that the fighting ended and the racing eventually moved to Listowel.
The course sits on “The Island” — literally its postal address — in a bend of the River Feale, two of its three entrances reached by bridge. That geography is the track’s betting identity: the ground is like nowhere else in Ireland, and the river extracted its price as recently as November 2024, when Storm Bert burst the Feale’s banks and did six-figure damage to railings, weighroom and electrics — the first flooding of its kind, a course director said, since 1973. It struck outside the racing windows; the 2025 festival ran as normal.
Charlie Swan, former champion Irish jump jockey — At The Races
Swan’s description is the one the whole trade repeats — versions of his “black and holding” line circulate unattributed across half the course guides on the internet — and his forgiveness rule is the practical takeaway: an inexplicably bad Listowel run on testing ground is the most excusable line of form in Munster. One honesty note the data insists on: the soil’s reputation doesn’t mean every September is a bog. The 2025 Kerry National went on yielding, yielding-to-soft in places — check the day’s report rather than assuming the swamp.
The pace numbers are emphatic and code-specific. Since 2009, front-runners over hurdles here win at 15.53% and show a level-stakes profit, while hold-up runners manage 4.36%; in chases the front-running edge is worth over a hundred points of level-stakes profit. But — the nuance most guides miss — handicap hurdles at Listowel are historically close to pace-neutral. The track itself explains the rest: sharp, tight-turned, two circuits of roughly a mile and a mile and a quarter, five fences per circuit with two coming quickly in the short straight, and so little emphasis on stamina that even the three-mile races are repeatedly described as a minimal staying test. Handy types with gears, not gallopers.
Wednesday of festival week is the Guinness Kerry National — €200,000, with €120,001 to the winner, over a precise 2m7f180y (the “three miles” you’ll read is a rounding). It has run since 1945, when the thirteen-year-old Star Of Venosas won a £252 purse; Pat Taaffe won one on Colonial Jack before Arkle made him immortal; Monty’s Pass took the 2002 renewal en route to the 2003 Aintree Grand National; Katie Walsh (2014) and Lisa O’Neill (2016) both won it; and Spanish Harlem landed the 2025 running at 16/1 for Willie and Danny Mullins. Note the grade: 2023, 2024 and 2025 cards all print Grade 3 where 2019’s said Grade A — the strong pattern is a reclassification, so treat Grade 3 as current.
The Island
- Geography The course sits in a bend of the River Feale — “The Island” is its actual postal address, with two of three entrances over bridges
- The soil Black and holding when wet — fields string out fast, and some horses simply never act on it (Swan)
- Forgiveness rule A bad run on testing ground here is the most re-backable bad run in Munster
- Storm Bert The Feale flooded the course in Nov 2024 — six-figure damage, first such flood since 1973; repaired before the 2025 festival
The Track
- Two circuits Inner ~1m, outer ~1m1f–1m2f — sources even disagree on the shapes (oval vs rectangular); sharpness varies by which is in use
- Fences 5 per circuit, two of them in a home straight of under two furlongs — Swan rated them on the stiff side
- Character Tight, sharp, undulating in places — even 3m races offer “little in the way of a test of stamina”
- Run-in About 200 yards on the jumps course (Flat sources quote ~2f — a genuine unexplained split)
The Kerry National
- The race Guinness-sponsored €200,000 handicap chase, 2m7f180y, Wednesday of Harvest week — €120,001 to the winner
- Grade Grade 3 on the 2023–25 cards; 2019’s said Grade A — the evidence points to a reclassification between those years
- Deep roots First run 1945 (Star Of Venosas, aged 13); Monty’s Pass won 2002, then the 2003 Aintree Grand National
- 2025 Spanish Harlem, 16/1, Willie Mullins and Danny Mullins, by 4½ lengths
Festival Facts
- Scale Seven days since 2002; second only to Galway in Irish festival attendance — Ladies Day drew 27,232 in 2022
- 2025 shock Eoin McCarthy — a small Athea yard 14km away — beat Willie Mullins to the trainers’ title with six winners, including a 241/1 Friday treble
- 2024 echo Eric McNamara landed a 159/1 treble — the festival keeps rewarding local depth over raw class
- The rider Paul Townend: 48 career Listowel winners at a 40% five-season strike rate
The Racing Calendar
Front-Runners Rule — Except in Handicap Hurdles
Listowel’s pace data (course study, all races since 2009) is strong and unusually code-specific. Over hurdles, front-runners win at 15.53% and are level-stakes profitable (+16.89) while hold-up runners manage 4.36%. In chases the front-running edge is bigger still — over a hundred points of level-stakes profit. And then the exception that proves the study is real rather than a slogan: handicap hurdles here are “historically a lot fairer” with more or less no pace bias whatsoever. On soft ground everything sharpens — Swan’s strung-out fields are the mechanism — and making ground late gets harder again.
Run Style — course study, all races since 2009
▲ +100.19 level stakes
▲ 15.53%, +16.89
▼ 4.36% strike rate
The handicap-hurdle carve-out matters when the festival’s big Thursday pot comes round: the one race type where Listowel’s “be on the front end” rule genuinely doesn’t apply.
Top Trainers & Jockeys
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mullins, W P | 351 | 94 | 26.78% | 164 | 46.72% | 0.91 | -55.24 |
| 2 Elliott, Gordon | 287 | 39 | 13.59% | 94 | 32.75% | 0.91 | -90.07 |
| 3 Bromhead, Henry De | 200 | 33 | 16.50% | 70 | 35.00% | 0.97 | -39.91 |
| 4 O’Brien, Joseph Patrick | 130 | 23 | 17.69% | 51 | 39.23% | 1.01 | +8.18 |
| 5 Hourigan, Michael | 123 | 17 | 13.82% | 45 | 36.59% | 1.15 | +37.88 |
| 6 Ryan, John Patrick | 163 | 16 | 9.82% | 51 | 31.29% | 0.97 | -27.34 |
| 7 Cromwell, Gavin Patrick | 137 | 15 | 10.95% | 38 | 27.74% | 0.90 | -45.75 |
| 8 McNamara, E | 248 | 14 | 5.65% | 54 | 21.77% | 0.63 | -99.00 |
| 9 Hanlon, John Joseph | 174 | 13 | 7.47% | 38 | 21.84% | 0.81 | -3.43 |
| 10 Meade, Noel | 87 | 13 | 14.94% | 33 | 37.93% | 0.91 | -38.52 |
| 11 McCarthy, Eoin Christopher | 173 | 11 | 6.36% | 39 | 22.54% | 0.91 | +275.25 |
| 12 Byrnes, C | 135 | 11 | 8.15% | 36 | 26.67% | 0.59 | -84.83 |
| 13 Harrington, Mrs John | 100 | 11 | 11.00% | 30 | 30.00% | 0.75 | +22.40 |
| 14 Fahey, Peter | 86 | 11 | 12.79% | 26 | 30.23% | 1.03 | -27.19 |
| 15 Bolger, E | 71 | 10 | 14.08% | 17 | 23.94% | 1.04 | -13.60 |
| 16 Martin, A J | 94 | 9 | 9.57% | 22 | 23.40% | 0.66 | -62.87 |
| 17 Cooper, Thomas | 79 | 9 | 11.39% | 27 | 34.18% | 0.95 | -34.89 |
| 18 O’Grady, E J | 69 | 9 | 13.04% | 21 | 30.43% | 1.05 | -2.25 |
| 19 McConnell, John C | 55 | 9 | 16.36% | 16 | 29.09% | 1.18 | +2.59 |
| 20 Kiely, J E and Thomas | 50 | 9 | 18.00% | 23 | 46.00% | 1.33 | +47.17 |
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Townend, P | 209 | 51 | 24.40% | 98 | 46.89% | 0.92 | -41.06 |
| 2 Walsh, R | 112 | 28 | 25.00% | 46 | 41.07% | 0.85 | -23.87 |
| 3 Russell, D N | 116 | 23 | 19.83% | 56 | 48.28% | 0.99 | +9.79 |
| 4 Walsh, M P | 175 | 21 | 12.00% | 59 | 33.71% | 0.75 | -34.34 |
| 5 Geraghty, B J | 108 | 21 | 19.44% | 44 | 40.74% | 1.03 | -2.75 |
| 6 Mullins, Mr P W | 81 | 21 | 25.93% | 43 | 53.09% | 0.77 | -30.39 |
| 7 Mullins, D E | 177 | 19 | 10.73% | 53 | 29.94% | 0.90 | -10.64 |
| 8 Cooper, Bryan J | 131 | 16 | 12.21% | 47 | 35.88% | 0.82 | -30.98 |
| 9 O’Keeffe, Darragh | 159 | 13 | 8.18% | 43 | 27.04% | 0.71 | -41.12 |
| 10 Flanagan, S W | 169 | 12 | 7.10% | 33 | 19.53% | 0.76 | -79.75 |
| 11 Power, R M | 86 | 11 | 12.79% | 24 | 27.91% | 0.88 | -8.29 |
| 12 Blackmore, Rachael | 103 | 10 | 9.71% | 29 | 28.16% | 0.76 | -40.20 |
| 13 Kennedy, J W | 87 | 10 | 11.49% | 28 | 32.18% | 0.74 | -29.43 |
| 14 Slevin, J J | 113 | 8 | 7.08% | 31 | 27.43% | 0.62 | -67.00 |
| 15 O’Keeffe, Sean F | 93 | 8 | 8.60% | 15 | 16.13% | 1.05 | -17.50 |
| 16 Sexton, K C | 82 | 8 | 9.76% | 19 | 23.17% | 1.05 | -12.50 |
| 17 Heskin, A P | 77 | 8 | 10.39% | 18 | 23.38% | 1.29 | -3.92 |
| 18 Fogarty, M P | 36 | 8 | 22.22% | 14 | 38.89% | 2.08 | +35.75 |
| 19 Lynch, A E | 110 | 7 | 6.36% | 27 | 24.55% | 0.68 | -51.37 |
| 20 Hayes, Brian | 101 | 7 | 6.93% | 21 | 20.79% | 0.70 | -17.37 |
Top Sires
| Sire | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Beneficial | 184 | 19 | 10.33% | 54 | 29.35% | 0.93 | -38.76 |
| 2 King’s Theatre (IRE) | 118 | 19 | 16.10% | 41 | 34.75% | 1.03 | +15.08 |
| 3 Presenting | 197 | 18 | 9.14% | 54 | 27.41% | 0.79 | -52.87 |
| 4 Milan | 175 | 18 | 10.29% | 51 | 29.14% | 1.02 | -7.42 |
| 5 Oscar (IRE) | 187 | 16 | 8.56% | 44 | 23.53% | 0.83 | -30.77 |
| 6 Mahler | 155 | 13 | 8.39% | 43 | 27.74% | 0.84 | -7.38 |
| 7 Westerner | 124 | 13 | 10.48% | 34 | 27.42% | 0.90 | -33.93 |
| 8 Shantou (USA) | 78 | 11 | 14.10% | 22 | 28.21% | 1.31 | +17.67 |
| 9 Flemensfirth (USA) | 198 | 10 | 5.05% | 42 | 21.21% | 0.49 | -140.67 |
| 10 Fame And Glory | 96 | 10 | 10.42% | 23 | 23.96% | 1.04 | -10.84 |
| 11 Galileo (IRE) | 57 | 10 | 17.54% | 17 | 29.82% | 1.43 | +2.54 |
| 12 Getaway (GER) | 104 | 9 | 8.65% | 30 | 28.85% | 0.74 | -53.43 |
| 13 Walk In The Park (IRE) | 83 | 9 | 10.84% | 25 | 30.12% | 0.76 | -36.76 |
| 14 Court Cave (IRE) | 79 | 9 | 11.39% | 22 | 27.85% | 1.22 | +19.50 |
| 15 Yeats (IRE) | 108 | 8 | 7.41% | 36 | 33.33% | 0.60 | -63.03 |
| 16 Old Vic | 58 | 8 | 13.79% | 20 | 34.48% | 0.91 | -12.25 |
| 17 Gold Well | 62 | 7 | 11.29% | 15 | 24.19% | 1.05 | -15.84 |
| 18 Kayf Tara | 62 | 7 | 11.29% | 20 | 32.26% | 0.80 | -23.50 |
| 19 Doyen (IRE) | 57 | 7 | 12.28% | 20 | 35.09% | 1.04 | +11.58 |
| 20 Heron Island (IRE) | 38 | 7 | 18.42% | 12 | 31.58% | 1.59 | +10.08 |
Betting Angles
Pace first — except in handicap hurdles
Front-runners are profitable across chases (+100 points level stakes since 2009) and hurdles generally, with hold-up types at 4.36% — but handicap hurdles here are historically near pace-neutral. Apply the front-end rule everywhere except the one race type the festival bets biggest on.
Use Swan’s forgiveness rule
The black, holding island soil makes some horses simply not perform — “I would always be prepared to forgive a horse an inexplicably bad run on testing ground there.” A Listowel mud-flop next out on better ground, or a different track, is a price-boosted opportunity, not a warning.
Mullins is a tax; O’Brien has been the value
Willie Mullins strikes at ~31% over five festival seasons yet shows a level-stakes LOSS of 16.47 — the market over-prices the inevitability. Joseph O’Brien’s nine festival winners in the same span returned +18.33. Pay for the second-biggest name, audit the biggest.
Respect the local yards in festival week
Eoin McCarthy — six winners including a 241/1 treble — beat Mullins outright to the 2025 trainers’ title from a small yard 14km away, a year after Eric McNamara’s 159/1 treble. Seven days of racing needs depth the giants don’t always bring; the locals plan their whole season for it.
Kerry National: course form and recency
The compiled trends (synthesis-level sourcing, so treat as directional): 17 of the last 23 winners had run at Listowel before, all 23 had raced within nine weeks, most carried under 11st and were aged eight or younger — and the favourite has won once in 23 years. Fitness, course experience and a middleweight beats the market’s obvious one.
Don’t pay for stamina you don’t need
Even the three-mile races here are a minimal staying test — the track is sharp, the run-in short, and “the handy type” is the house profile. A proven two-and-a-half-mile speedster stepping up at Listowel is a better bet than a one-paced marathon plodder dropping in.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling the Kerry National “Grade A.” Every card from 2023 to 2025 prints Grade 3 — the Grade A label (true in 2019) looks superseded, and copy repeating it is running years behind.
- Repeating that the race was “first held in 2008.” A bad synthesis in circulation — the race dates to 1945 (Star Of Venosas), and Monty’s Pass demonstrably won it in 2002 before his Aintree National.
- Assuming September means heavy. The soil’s reputation is real, but the 2025 Kerry National ran on yielding — read the day’s going report, not the folklore.
- Conflating the Kerry-branded races. The Guinness Kerry National (Wednesday) and the Kerry Group and Kerry Dairy Ireland chases (other days) are different races with different sponsors on the same week’s cards.
- Treating the 3m trip as a stamina examination — sources agree the sharp island track tests speed and handiness, not stamina, even at the National’s trip.
Listowel Racecourse FAQs
What is the Kerry National?
When does Listowel race?
What kind of track is Listowel?
Is there a pace bias at Listowel?
Where is Listowel racecourse?
Other Jumps Tracks
Want the thinking behind National Hunt bets?
FormDial posts every selection before the off with its full reasoning: the angle, the price, the logic. See how course analysis feeds into real selections.
The Trackside Companion is your day at the races, written to order — every race on your meeting’s card broken down, plus this track’s draw, angles and people distilled from the guide you’ve just read. Order at least a week before your raceday.
Plan your raceday →