Lismore Racecourse has been hosting racing since 1870s and the Lismore Turf Club is the central hub of racing on the far north coast of NSW. The current Lismore Turf Club was formed in 1968 and conducts 15 race meetings each year with the highlight being the Lismore Cup carnival in September. Another famous Lismore race is the Rousillon Handicap, named after a champion local racehorse who raced until he was a 12-year-old, starting 163 times for 45 wins and 53 placings including 17 wins on the Lismore course in the 1960s and`1970s. Rousillon won the Lismore Cup twice in 1971 and 1972.

The current site of Lismore racecourse was established in 1924. The land was privately owned until it was purchased by the Australian Turf Club in 1968 to ensure racing continued in the district. The course was sold by the AJC to the Lismore Turf Club in 2001, making it one of the few Australian racecourse where the race club owns the land. Unfortunately the low lying racecourse is flood prone and has suffered damage from major floods several times over the years. Lismore racecourse is a large track of 1730 metres circumference and featuring a long chute joining the back straight that caters for race starts up to 1500 metres.

Runners from the 1500m start have a straight ruin of 600 metres before starting a long sweeping curve that takes them to the home straight. The Lismore Cup over 2100 metres starts from a chute at the top of the home straight.The home straight of 380 metres is uphill but the course has a reputation for favouring on pace runners.Lismore racecourse boasts excellent facilities including a modern function centre.