Group 3 Day at Gowran Park: Cordell Lavarack and Landwades Stud Stakes

Gowran Park’s biggest flat card of the autumn falls on Saturday 19 September, headlined by the Cordell Lavarack and Landwades Stud Stakes, a Group 3 race and the track’s highest-graded fixture outside its Listed summer meetings. Group races sit near the top of the flat racing pyramid, one tier below Group 1 level, so Saturday’s card draws a noticeably stronger field than a typical midweek meeting, along with a bigger crowd and a more festival-like atmosphere around the parade ring and grandstand.

What to expect

The Cordell Lavarack and Landwades Stud Stakes is the feature of a full Saturday card, supported by several other flat races that fill out the afternoon. Group 3 status means the field is drawn from serious Irish and often British yards, a step up in quality from Gowran’s regular fixtures, and the kind of day that draws committed racing fans as well as the usual social crowd. Gowran Park itself has run since 1914, earned Grade 1 National Hunt classification in 2006, and has a modern grandstand from 2003 with close-up views of the track from wooded parkland. Expect a fuller car park and a longer queue at the bars than a midweek meeting, so arriving in good time before the big race is worth it.

Getting there

Gowran is on the N10 between Kilkenny city and Carlow town, about 15 minutes’ drive from Kilkenny city centre and roughly 90 minutes from Dublin via the M9. On-site parking is free but fills earlier than usual on a feature race day, and Gowran Park has previously run a complimentary bus from the Parade in Kilkenny city, worth checking ahead of this fixture.

While you’re in Gowran

Gowran’s medieval collegiate church, St Mary’s, is worth a look if you arrive with time to spare before the big race. There is more to see in Gowran and across Co. Kilkenny.

Good to know

• Date: Saturday, 19 September 2026
• Venue: Gowran Park Racecourse, Gowran
• Feature race: Cordell Lavarack and Landwades Stud Stakes, Group 3
• Admission: €15 pre-purchased online, €20 on the gate; OAP and student €10 pre-purchased, €15 on the gate
• Exact race times are published closer to the meeting, check gowranpark.ie
• Tickets: gowranpark.ie/racing/buy-tickets