They have been racing at Down Royal since 1685, predating even the Battle of the Boyne, but this weekend's meeting will be special, according to Mike Todd, the general manager of the course.
A two-day National Hunt festival, the first of its kind to be held in the North, will take place at the Co Antrim venue. On offer is £260,000 in prize-money, and some of the biggest names in the business are due to arrive.
It's a huge step forward, because even racing has been hampered by the constitutional issue. Betting tax from the North goes to the British Exchequer. A proportion of this money is then directed towards British racetracks. Northern Ireland racing receives no funding.
"Everything we have done here, we have done ourselves," said Todd. "And this weekend we are moving from the second division into the premier league. The whole festival culture in racing has grown in the South, and it is time it spread to this side of the Border."
He is expecting a capacity crowd of 10,000 for the feature race on Saturday. "The most we have had is 7,000 for the Ulster Derby, but ticket sales for the weekend have been tremendous. We have every confidence there will be a full house."
Giant television screens, marquees and temporary grandstands are being erected. There will also be live music. "The facilities will be as good as those at any top venue in Britain or the Republic," he says. "We are also expecting a few celebrities to drop by."
The feature race is the £100,000 James Nicholson Wine Merchants Ulster Champion Chase. The race has an added bonus of £50,000 if the winner goes on to triumph in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The field includes Florida Pearl, who was bred a few miles up the road from Down Royal and was third in last year's Gold Cup; Strong Promise, runner-up in the 1998 Gold Cup; Dorans Pride; and the improving Jessica Harrington-trained Ferbet Junior.
"To have £100,000 for our feature race is remarkable," said Todd. "Until now the most that has been on offer here for a champion chase has been £15,000."
The Sere Motor Group Hurdle tomorrow is worth £50,000. Previously, the biggest prize-money for a hurdle race at Down Royal was £5,000.
The festival is guaranteed for three years by the Northern Ireland Events Company, a British government-sponsored private body which provides support to major events it believes will project the North in a positive light internationally.
"It is a great boost for horse racing in Northern Ireland," said Todd. "It will also heighten the tourism industry during what is an off-peak season. There will be considerable financial benefits for this area. All the local hotels, for instance, are booked out."
Todd, who has been manger of Down Royal for three years, is the only man in the North to be fully employed as an executive in horse racing. His professional background is in industry, but he has strong National Hunt connections.
His grandfather bred Skymas, two-time winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in the 1970s and the most successful Northern Ireland-trained horse. Todd's mother trained National Hunt horses, and he was an amateur jockey. He is expecting Tony McCoy, Norman Williamson, Graham Bradley, Richard Dunwoody, Tony Dobbin and Jenny Pitman among others.
Channel 4's flagship racing programme, The Morning Line, is coming live from Down Royal on Saturday. The feature races will be broadcast to the US and France.
"It's wonderful to see Northern Ireland at the centre of National Hunt racing," Todd said. "For a small locality, we are very good at it. We have bred four Grand National and three Gold Cup winners. Now we finally have our own festival of racing. These are very exciting times for us."
