Gowran Park
FLAT: Gowran Park is a right-handed oval of around a mile and a half. While there are some undulations, it is essentially a galloping track, and the final climb in the three-furlong straight is quite testing. Any advantage low-numbered stalls have is small if not negligible.
NATIONAL HUNT: Gowran Park is an oval right-handed track with a circuit of around a mile and a half. Although there are some undulations the track is essentially galloping in character, and on soft ground can provide a thorough test of stamina. There are seven fences to a circuit of the chase course, which is on the outside of the hurdles track, with three situated in the three-furlong uphill home straight. The run-in is around a furlong.
ABOUT: Located in County Kilkenny, the first race meeting was held at the Gowran Park racecourse in 1914. In 1952, the first ever Irish racetrack commentary in history was performed at the course, and the track was classified with Grade 1 status in 2006.
Gowran Park stages the Thyestes Chase and has a Listed race on the Flat. It’s essentially two different racecourses. In the summer, when the ground is good, it’s quite a fast track. From the winning post you climb all the way on the back straight to the highest part of the track and then when you turn it’s downhill all the way to the furlong pole. In the winter it can be very heavy - the three fences on the home straight can take a lot of jumping. In the summer when it’s quick you really can’t be off the pace.