Inside the world’s most unique horse racing meet – where sunbathers and horses share a beach
A ‘COLOSSAL’ crowd caused a delay at the world’s most uniqure horse racing meet – as swimmers sauntered past thoroughbreds at the awesome Laytown.
Once a year crowds flock to the Irish seaside town for what is believed to be the only racing under rules in the world held on the beach.
While you’re unlikely to see the next City Of Troy in action, the card still attracts runners from top trainers such as Gordon Elliott.
THE SUN RACING MEMBERS ENCLOSURE
The only place to get Templegate’s tips first – and at the best prices – is by joining Sun Racing’s brilliant Members Enclosure.
Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing’s best winning team and get…
- Four free racing tickets, four times a year – worth £300
- Templegate’s daily tips at the BEST prices before anyone else
- Tomorrow’s copy of The Favourite at 9pm today
- Exclusive insights from Andrew Balding and Hayley Turner
- VIP competitions from Racing Breaks each month
- New customer offer with Coral
Become a member today for just £1*
*For the first month then £3 per month thereafter.
18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk
And yesterday’s spectacle was no different, as thousands made it over to County Meath, some 30 miles or so north of Dublin, for the one-of-a-kind card.
There were so many punters that the first race had to be pushed back by ten minutes to allow everyone to get in.
And still they were making their way onto the sand after the second race an hour later.
The money on offer was decent for the level, with no winner taking home less than £5,000.
And the one-off card made for some incredible photos, which included this bloke walking topless past one of the runners.
Adrian McGuinness is one of the trainers who always has a few runners at Laytown.
He bagged a winner in the second contest over 6f courtesy of 11-4 Cherry Pink.
Speaking of why he loves the annual meet so much, he said: “I have owners who live for it. They just love the place.
“I love the layout of the place, the craic, there’s always good fun here.
“We’ll have a few beers and really enjoy the day, and that’s what it’s all about.
“The spectacle is just unreal for those who haven’t been here before.
“When training horses at home I use the beach a lot – some horses love it, some don’t.
“But it can be a great way to relax horses – and even if you’re in bad form yourself you walk the beach and you feel a hell of a lot better after it.”
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.