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sport · Sunday 30 August 2026 · 1:00pm 
Derry Point-to-Point Horse Racing 2026
At Ballylanark Racecourse · Ballylanark, near Eglinton, Co. Derry, BT47 3AD
At Ballylanark Racecourse · Ballylanark, near Eglinton, Co. Derry, BT47 3AD
Point-to-point racing is a world apart from the polished surrounds of Leopardstown or Down Royal. At Ballylanark on the last Sunday of August, Derry’s own amateur racing club takes over open farmland outside Eglinton for a full card of jumping and flat races that feels genuinely connected to the sport’s rural roots. This is a day out for families, racegoers, and anyone curious about horses - you do not need to know the form book to enjoy it. Raceday banter, on-course bookmakers, and the simple pleasure of watching horses clear fences in a field make it one of the more honest days you can spend in the north of Ireland.
Ballylanark hosts eight to ten races across the afternoon, starting at 1pm and running through to around 5pm. The card mixes maiden races for unproven horses, handicaps, four-year-old novice races, and ladies races, with distances ranging from two miles to three miles five furlongs - so there is plenty of stamina-testing steeplechase action alongside the shorter flat contests. On-course bookmakers take cash bets throughout the day, and the atmosphere leans more towards community gathering than serious gambling den. Food and drink stalls trade across the grounds, and the crowd tends to spread naturally along the course rail. The Derry Point-to-Point Club runs the meeting and has built it into one of the more popular fixtures in Ulster’s amateur racing calendar. As with all point-to-points, the event goes ahead in all weathers, so dress accordingly.
Ballylanark lies just outside Eglinton, roughly 15 kilometres east of Derry city centre. The most straightforward route from Derry is via the A2 Coleraine road, following local signage as you approach the Eglinton area - the postcode BT47 3AD is useful for sat-nav. No public transport serves the venue directly, so the car is the practical option. Ample parking is available on the racecourse grounds; point-to-point meetings are well practised at handling large car parks in fields, and marshals generally keep traffic moving. If travelling from Belfast, take the A6 towards Derry and pick up the A2 before the city.
Eglinton is a compact, leafy village with the City of Derry Airport on its doorstep and the Muff Glen Forest Walk nearby - a pleasant stroll through woodland where red squirrels are sometimes spotted. There is more to see in Eglinton and across Co. Derry.
Heading to Ballylanark Racecourse in Eglinton? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Eglinton area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.