THERE are big fixtures in racing – and then there are the really big fixtures that define the season.
Sun Racing has gone through the 2024 calendar below and picked out the key meetings and races at home and abroad.
PAThe Cheltenham Festival is the biggest week of the year[/caption]
The big races are followed by the racecourse where they take place in brackets.
January
1 – New Year Meeting – Cheltenham
27 – Clarence House Chase (Ascot)
27 – Trials Day – Cheltenham
February
3-4 – Dublin Racing Festival (Leopardstown)
March
12-15 – Cheltenham Festival
30 – 1 April – Fairyhouse Easter Festival
April
1 – Irish Grand National (Fairyhouse)
11-13 – Grand National Festival (Aintree)
13 – Grand National
26-27 – bet365 Jump Finale (Sandown)
30-4 May – Punchestown Festival
May
3-5 – Qipco Guineas Weekend (Newmarket)
4 – Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs)
8-10 – Boodles May Festival (Chester)
15-17 – Dante Festival (York)
18 – Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes Day (Newbury)
31-1 June – Betfred Derby Festival (Epsom)
June
18-22 – Royal Ascot
28-30 – Irish Derby (Curragh)
27-29 – Northumberland Plate Festival (Newcastle)
July
6 – Coral Eclipse (Sandown)
11-13 – Boodles July Festival (Newmarket)
26-27 – King George Weekend (Ascot)
29-4 Aug – Galway Summer Festival
30-3 Aug – Qatar Goodwood Festival
August
21-24 – Sky Bet Ebor Festival (York)
September
12-15 – Betfred St Leger Festival (Doncaster)
14-15 – Irish Champions Festival (Leopardstown/Curragh)
19-21 – Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup
26-28 – Cambridgeshire Meeting (Newmarket)
October
5-6 – Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Longchamp)
11 – Future Champions Day (Newmarket)
19 – Qipco British Champions Day (Ascot)
November
5 – Melbourne Cup (Flemington)
15-17 – The November Meeting (Cheltenham)
23 – Betfair Chase (Haydock)
23-24 – Punchestown Winter Festival
29-20 – Coral Winter Carnival (Newbury)
30-1 Dec – Fairyhouse Winter Festival
December
6-7 – Betfair Tingle Creek Festival (Sandown)
26-27 – Ladbrokes Christmas Festival (Kempton)
26-29 – Leopardstown Christmas Festival
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