Boxing Day is one of the most traditional and well-attended days in the horse racing calendar. Racing on 26 December sits at the heart of the winter National Hunt season, attracting large crowds, strong television audiences, and competitive fields across the UK and Ireland.
Boxing Day meetings are dominated by jump racing, with established racecourses hosting feature handicaps, graded races, and festive cards that appeal to both casual racegoers and serious punters. Alongside the jumps action, all-weather racing also plays a role in Britain, ensuring a full day of racing coverage.
A total of 11 meetings take place across the UK and Ireland on Boxing Day.
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UK Boxing Day Horse Racing Meetings
Seven racecourses in Britain stage meetings on Boxing Day, combining high-profile venues with regional tracks.
Here are the seven race meetings taking place on the 26th December 2025.
- Kempton Park
- Aintree
- Wetherby
- Sedgefield
- Fontwell Park
- Wincanton
- Wolverhampton
Kempton Park
Kempton Park hosts one of the standout Boxing Day meetings, headlined by the King George VI Chase. It is a centrepiece of the National Hunt calendar.
Kempton Park is the focal point of Boxing Day racing in Britain. The meeting is headlined by the King George VI Chase, one of the most prestigious Grade 1 steeplechases of the National Hunt season. Run over three miles, the race regularly shapes the championship chase division.
Kempton’s Boxing Day card also features the Christmas Hurdle, another Grade 1 contest that attracts elite hurdlers and adds further status to the meeting.
Wetherby
Wetherby delivers a strong northern jumps card, regularly featuring competitive handicaps and staying chases.
Aintree
Aintree’s Boxing Day meeting provides top-class jump racing at one of Britain’s most iconic venues.
Sedgefield
Sedgefield offers a popular Boxing Day fixture, known for its competitive fields and consistent winter racing programme.
Fontwell Park
Fontwell Park stages a festive jumps meeting that attracts strong local attendance and solid mid-range handicaps.
Wincanton
Wincanton’s Boxing Day card is a staple of the southwest racing calendar, focused on National Hunt racing.
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton provides all-weather racing on Boxing Day, offering an alternative to the jumps-dominated schedule.
Irish Boxing Day Horse Racing Meetings
Ireland hosts four established Boxing Day meetings, all centred on National Hunt racing.
Here are the four race meetings in Ireland taking place on the 26th December 2025 (the day after Christmas Day).
- Leopardstown
- Limerick
- Down Royal
- Navan
Leopardstown
Leopardstown begins its Christmas Festival on Boxing Day, featuring graded races and leading trainers and jockeys.
In Ireland, Leopardstown stages Grade 1 racing as part of its Christmas Festival, including the Savills Chase, a key staying chase that often features leading Irish-trained horses.
Limerick
Limerick hosts a competitive jumps card that traditionally attracts large fields and strong betting interest.
Down Royal
Down Royal stages a Boxing Day meeting that plays a key role in the Irish winter racing schedule.
Navan completes the Irish Boxing Day line-up with a high-quality National Hunt card.
What to Expect From Boxing Day Racing
Boxing Day racing is primarily focused on jump racing, with conditions favouring staying chasers and hurdlers. Many trainers target this date months in advance, making it a reliable indicator of form ahead of the spring festivals. Attendance is typically high, and meetings often serve as a family day out as well as a major betting opportunity.
Boxing Day remains one of the few dates in the racing calendar where both the UK and Ireland deliver a full, coordinated programme of high-quality meetings on the same day.
Summary
If you want to view all UK and Irish horse racing meetings organised by month, see the sections below.
- Horse racing fixtures in January
- Horse racing fixtures in February
- Horse racing fixtures in March
- Horse racing fixtures in April
- Horse racing fixtures in May
- Horse racing fixtures in June
- Horse racing fixtures in July
- Horse racing fixtures in August
- Horse racing fixtures in September
- Horse racing fixtures in October
- Horse racing fixtures in November
- Horse racing fixtures in December
Many horse racing punters want to research the upcoming fixtures, and we have researched and presented the full racing calendar in an easy-to-digest format for our community at Sports Betting Tipsters.
Check out our complete UK Horse Racing Calendar for 2026 to find out more about the full fixture list for races in the United Kingdom.
Check out our complete Irish Horse Racing Calendar for 2026 to find out more about the full fixture list for races in Ireland.
