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Watering Racecourses

On occasions, it may be necessary for Clerks of the Course to advise racecourse managers to irrigate the racecourse in an effort to stop the track from drying out.

Therefore, it is necessary that each racecourse has a ‘Target Going’ which it will aim to be no quicker than if the Clerk of the Course has advised that water be applied in advance of a racemeeting.



The racecourse will aim to provide ground that is reflective of the ‘Target Going’ but given uncertain forecasts of rain, drying conditions and/or inaccurate forecasts, the racecourses, after consulting the Clerk of the Course, may use their discretion to adapt or alter the watering programme as they deem appropriate. Also, for a mixed meeting or a multiday meeting using the same racing line for both National Hunt and Flat races, the racecourse and the Clerk of the Course will use their discretion when watering to achieve the most appropriate going for the racemeeting.

Watering Racecourses

  • Racecourse Target Going (NH) Target Going (Flat)
    Ballinrobe Good  Good 
    Bellewstown Good  Good, Good to Firm in places
    Clonmel Good  Good 
    Cork Good  Good to Firm
    Curragh n/a Good to Firm
    Down Royal Good Good to Firm
    Downpatrick Good n/a 
    Dundalk n/a n/a
    Fairyhouse
    (Grand National Festival)    		 Good 
    Good to Yielding     		 Good to Firm
    Galway Good  Good 
    Gowran Park Good  Good to Firm
    Kilbeggan Good n/a
    Killarney Good Good, Good to Firm in places
    Laytown n/a n/a
    Leopardstown Good to Yielding Good to Firm
    Limerick Good  Good to Firm
    Listowel Good  Good 
    Naas  Good Good to Firm
    Navan Good Good to Firm
    Punchestown 
    (NH Festival)    		 Good
    Good to Yielding     		 n/a
    Roscommon Good  Good to Firm
    Sligo
    Slow Side of Good 
    		Slow side of Good 
    Thurles  n/a n/a
    Tipperary  Good  Good to Firm
    Tramore  Good  Good
    Wexford Good  n/a

Procedures for Watering Racecourses 


  • The racecourse manager or authorised deputy (hereafter referred to as ‘the racecourse’) must liaise with the Clerk of the Course before watering commences, and a program agreed upon to achieve going reflective of the ‘Target Going’ on the raceday. It is the racecourses’ responsibility to carry out this watering program as advised by the Clerk of the Course.


  • The watering program agreed may commence as soon as the Clerk of the Course deems necessary and the racecourse must maintain a record of the watering applied on a daily basis. Information on a racecourse’s watering program for a particular meeting will be communicated by the IHRB, once agreed upon by the Clerk of the Course.


  • If the racecourse thinks it necessary to deviate from an agreed program, they must firstly consult with, and get agreement from, the Clerk of the Course. The watering program may need to be changed or halted to reflect, for example, a change of weather forecast. All such decisions should be reached between the racecourse and the Clerk of the Course, uninfluenced by any other stakeholders. Any updated information on a watering program will be communicated by IHRB thereafter.


  • Ideally, if conditions allow, watering should not continue beyond 8 hours before the start of the meeting. However, particularly for evening meetings held on warm summer days, watering may continue at the discretion of the Clerk of the Course until such time as he deems appropriate.


  • Watering should not first commence within 24 hours of the starting time of the first race (with the exception of multi-day meetings), unless in limited, exceptional circumstances, where the Clerk of the Course is satisfied that to begin watering at this point in time is absolutely necessary and the surface has been spiked and/or aerated.

  • The Directors of IHRB emphasise the importance of spiking and/or aerating all race tracks at appropriate times during the year, whether water is being applied or not.

  • Watering should only be done by bulk tankers if no other system is available. If bulk tankers are used, careful supervision is necessary by the racecourse to avoid false patches of ground, and tankers should be fitted with a boom if possible to prevent soil compaction.

  • When watering takes place, and where possible, the racing area should be limited to that watered ground prepared for the race day, by the use of rails or dolls.

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