Best Horse Racing Betting Sites for Ireland 2023

Horse racing has been in the Irish blood for centuries. From its huge impact on UK events, like the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival and the Epsom Derby, to the domestic equine celebrations at Leopardstown and Punchestown, Irish horse, trainers, owners and jockeys are part of the fabric. As much as Guinness and red-haired Leprechauns promising a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, racing symbolises a certain mythology of the Emerald Isle, both past and present. Online sportsbooks have come to dominate the betting landscape and the current crop offer punters a wide array of opportunities to indulge in a flutter on the nags. The range of enhancements and promotions represent betting value like never before.

The list of the best horse betting sites for Irish bettors include: BoyleSports, Ladbrokes, bet365, Paddy Power Ireland.

The 5 Best Horse Betting Sites in Ireland & Offers

No bookmaker flies the flag for Irish betting more than Paddy Power and their Horse Racing offering is suitably monumental. They have a series of promotions that make them a must for the list. Naturally, they cover all UK and Irish Racing and have a wide spread of International racing covered as well, including South African, French and American racing. 

Bet365 Ireland

A modern titan of the game, Bet365 completes this list. The coverage is superb and includes Live Streaming for all races. The only qualifying requirement is placing a bet of 50p or more (25p each-way is fine). 

Each meeting has over-and-under betting on winning favourites, Jockey’s Performances and a match-bet for each race. This last bet selects 2 runners in a race going head-to-head, a race in itself. The only requirement is to beat the other horse! 

The “My Horses” promotion allows punters to select a series of favourite horses throughout a racing season and receive notifications every time one of them runs. In a busy world, this means never missing any of them running. 

Bet365 has a bet 10 Euros and get 50 Euros in the Free Bets Welcome Offer to get new punters under starters orders.

Paddy Power

On selected races, they offer 4 places instead of 3, giving player’s more chance of winning. The Daily Specials offer enhanced odds on selected outcomes; for example the jockey Luke Morris may be 7/1 to ride 2 or more winners at a selected meeting and Paddy Power will offer 8/1. 

Each meeting in UK and Ireland has “Special” bets available, including wagering on the number of winning favourites and the aggregate winning distances for the meeting. 

Paddy Power Horse Betting site also has a generous offer to get new punters in Ireland off to a flier. Place a 10 Euro bet on any event and you will get 30 Euros in Free Bet to use on horse racing or any other sport. The minimum qualifying odds are Evens (2.0) and the Free Bets must be used within 30 days. 

Boyle Sports

Boyles are another well-known face both sides of the Irish Sea and have a stupendous Horse Racing set-up. Their coverage both domestically and internationally is extensive. 

The Daily Accumulator offer enhances specials for punters looking to place across an entire meeting rather than simply selecting one race. For example, “All Favourites to be placed at Dundalk Today” might be priced up as 8/1 and Boyles will offer it at 10/1.

The Live Streaming of all races is a superb facility and makes punters see Boyle Sports as a natural home for horse racing. Whether on the desktop version or on the App or mobile version, the Live Streaming, complete with a full range of prices and stats for each race, is high quality. 

The range of ante-post horse racing markets available at Boyle Sports is wide and varied. Punters can bet months in advance on races such as The Gold Cup, Ryanair Chase and the Grand National. 

Ladbrokes

The Magic Sign has long worn the crown of king of the ring when it comes to horse racing, and while the competition for top dog is fierce, Ladbrokes still hold their own. 

Every day, there are a series of selected races with Extra Place offers. In addition, if the favourite is too short a price to make any appeal, Ladbrokes offer enhanced prices for the jolly to win by a certain distance. 4/5 too skinny? Why not take it to win by 2 lengths or more at 3/1?

Ladbrokes also have a “Place Insurance” offer that gives Irish horse racing bettors their stake back if their selection fails to win but at least finishes in one of the Place Insurance positions. The perfect approach for when your horse gets beaten on the line!

There is also “Betting Without the Favourite”, which allows players to bypass short-priced horses and imagine a different race. As long as the selected horse comes 2^nd to the favourite or even wins the race, the punter collects. 

Ladbrokes also offer Live Streaming for all races, both on the desktop and mobile versions. 

Bet Victor

Formerly Victor Chandler, that famous man of the turf, Bet Victor has a long pedigree when it comes to Horse Racing and the site reflects this. The coverage is impressive, both domestically and internationally. The Bet Victor reach is particularly extensive, including Japan and New Zealand.

Bet Victor has a series of Daily promotions, including Afternoon and Evening Doubles (when 2 selected horses must win their respective races, at enhanced prices) as well as Daily Racing Specials. These include wagering on the number of winning favourites at a selected meeting, along with the number of winners for selected jockeys. 

The “Run For Your Money” offer gives punters their money back, in cash, if their horse loses all chance at the start of the race, by throwing its jockey, spinning round or failing to come out of the starting gate. This applies to UK and Irish Racing only.

There is a generous Horse Racing Welcome Offer of bet 10 Euros and get 30 Euros worth of Free Bets and another 10 Euros Slots Bonus. Minimum qualifying odds are Evens (2.0) and the Slot Bonus has a 20x wagering requirement. 

Top Horse Racing Betting Apps in Ireland 

• bet365 IE app
• Paddy Power app
• Ladbrokes app
• Boyle Sports app
• Bet Victor Horse Racing app

Betfred is well regarded among Irish punters and has a fantastic horse betting app for Android and iOS users to complement the desktop site. As well as offering racing odds on numerous ante-post horse races, including the Breeders Cup in the US, punters can enjoy every UK and Irish race every day. New customers in Ireland can enjoy €30 in Free Bets to enjoy on the horses when they deposit and place a £10 bet at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. 

SBK is an App-only bookmaker; “A new way to bet”. Irish punters have access to every race, every day, including a wide range of ante-post markets, including the Grand National (current favourite is Delta Work at 10/1). There is also a €30 Free Bet offer for new players when they place an initial bet of €10 at odds of 1.5 or greater.

Grosvenor has a devoted Sports Betting App that is hugely popular with horse-racing betting enthusiasts in Ireland. As well as offering “Best Odds Guaranteed” on selected races, there is a “Double the Odds” Welcome Offer for new horse-racing punters, guaranteeing that their first bet of €10 or more will return double, in cash, if it is a winner. There is also a wide array of ante-post markets to choose from, including the Epsom Derby, where the current favourite is Auguste Rodin at 10/1.

The Top Irish Races

The most popular bets in Irish racing are win and each-way bets on individual races. Win bets mean the horse has to win, an each-way bet means the horse has to finish within a specific number of places (usually the first 3 or 4 horse home). The each-way terms are usually 1/4 or 1/5 of the win price. These bets can be added to accumulators across one or multiple meetings, meaning a much bigger payout if they all win or place.

As well as day-to-day race meetings in Ireland and the UK, Irish bookmakers offer “Ante-post” betting on future races; sometimes they are only a few weeks away, some several months hence. The great advantage to Ante-post betting is that it gives punters the chance to get a much bigger price on a horse that they fancy than it might be on the day of the race. The disadvantage is if anything happens to the horse and it doesn’t run in the race in question, then the bet is lost. 

Popular Horse Races to Bet on For Irish Punters

The Munster National is a feature of the autumn racing scene in Ireland and is a very popular betting race. The current favourite is El Barra at 5/1. 

The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest betting event of the year, held in March, and always features the best Irish horses, trainers and jockeys. Ante-post betting on Cheltenham is always competitive. The main races are The Gold Cup, The Champion Hurdle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

On the flat, the Irish and English Derbies remain a highlight, along with the Irish and English 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas races, held in Newmarket every year.

Ireland Horse Racing Betting Promotions & Bonuses

• bet365: 50 Euros in Free Bets Welcome Offer
• Paddy Power: 30 Euros in Free Bet to use on horse racing
• BetVictor: get 30 Euros worth of Free Bets
• Ladbrokes: Enhanced odds and daily boosts
• SBK: bet €10 get €30 Free Bet
• Grosvenor: first bet of €10 double return

Ireland Online Horse Betting FAQ’s