Down Royal visitor guide (Horse Racing events: The Specsavers Ulster Derby, The James Nicholson W)

The Down Royal is a horse racing venue near the town of Lisburn in Northern Ireland, 10 miles south of the capital Belfast.

The picturesque racecourse has been open since the 17th century, and today it holds 12 meetings annually, including the 3-day Ulster Derby meeting in June and the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing in November. The showpiece of this 2-day festival is the Grade 1 James Nicholson Wine Merchant Chase (worth £150,000).

Over the past 15 - 20 years the course has undertaken major development and modernisation. Today it houses a Grandstand with 14 Corporate Boxes, a VIP Hospitality Suite, Public Bar and an elevated viewing area overlooking the track and finish post.

There is also a Governor's Stand with an exclusive Membership area known as the "Freeman's Suite" on the 1st Floor and the "Winning Post Café" on the Ground Floor. This stand also offers a viewing area with spectacular view over the racecourse.

Getting To Down Royal

To reach Northern Ireland from mainland Britain requires some combination of air, boat or train. Many rail services offer complete packages to get you to Belfast, the most direct of which crosses the sea via Scotland and takes less than two hours from London.

The easiest option is to fly, and there are numerous low-budget airlines that offer services to Belfast International Airport.

Once in Belfast, the best way to get to Down Royal is by train to Lisburn, which is 2.5 miles from the course. Services to Lisburn from the airport operate from the nearby town of Antrim, while Belfast Central railway station also offers train services to Lisburn.

If travelling by car via ferry, it will be useful to know that there is a free public car park at the course.