News

Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup final at Dundalk

Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup final at Dundalk. The exciting day of action will also feature horse racing in the afternoon plus a family fun day.

Michael Smyth

14 Aug 2025

Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup final at Dundalk

All eyes on Dundalk stadium tomorrow night for the €20,000 to the winner Bar One Irish Sprint Cup final taking place over the 400-yard trip. The exciting day of action will also feature horse racing in the afternoon plus a family fun day.

The Irish Sprint Cup, formerly known as the Irish National Cup and Irish National Sprint is held annually in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. The competition was first held at Dunmore Park Greyhound Stadium in 1932 with the distance set at 435 yards. Celtic Park was the venue in 1942, over 375 yards, with Dunmore Park used again from 1943 until 1996 when the track closed. The competition returned in 1999 at Drumbo Park. In 2004, Dundalk was used for the first time, with the race run over 410 yards. From 2005 onwards, the Irish Sprint Cup has been held at Dundalk over 400 yards.

Notable winners in recent years include Sheepwalk Mac in 2010, Ballymac BigMike in 2016 and Ardnasool Jet in 2019 and 2020. Guinness sponsored the event from 1965 until 1996, with Bar One Racing taking over in 2004.

Six finalists line up tomorrow evening with €20,000 up for grabs. The bookmakers have defending champion Broadstrand Syd as the 11/10 favourite with Droopys Patriot next in at 2s. Stonepark Browne is a 4s chance with Epic Ace on offer at 6s. Ballymac Brandan is a general 8s chance from T1 with Southwind Wild the outsider of the field at 10s from T5.

Can Broadstrand Syd join Ardnasool Jet as a back-to-back winner of the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup? All eyes on the break tomorrow evening for the highly anticipated final.

The 2025 final follows the preliminary rounds on Saturday, August 2, and the semi-finals that took place on Saturday, August 9. Defending champion Broadstrand Syd clocked a blistering 20.67 on route to victory over course and distance in 2024, a repeat of that would make him hard to beat. It is, however, a competitive race. Droopys Patriot in T2 shows plenty of zip into the corner and others in the line-up are more than capable of taking this if they bring their trapping boots. The trap daw, conducted my Dundalk Stadium CEO Jim Martin, adds intrigue, with Droopys Patriot drawn on the inside of Syd.

Family Fun Day at Dundalk Stadium

Dundalk Stadium is set to host its annual family fun day on the Bar One Racing Dual Race Day, Friday, August 15, 2025.

The Family Fun Day is one of the highlights of the year at Dundalk and another huge crowd is expected for what is sure to be a day of top-class action. This annual event attracts a vibrant crowd eager to enjoy a day of entertainment, family fun, and socialising at the Co Louth’s premier racing venue.

Horse racing action will take place from 1.45pm, followed by evening greyhound racing from 7.30pm featuring the prestigious Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup final.

Image from Dundalk Stadium X account

Fun favourites such as: Face Painting, Pony Rides, Birds Of Prey, Kidz Playbus, Mini Athletics will be on offer throughout the day at Dundalk Stadium. Fans and attendees can look forward to an energetic atmosphere with live music from Casino Dixieland Jazz Band, Paddy Byrne & Vertigo, family fun, and the chance to experience a day with a difference.