Punchestown Racecourse

Ireland’s premier National Hunt racecourse is almost two miles round the fences and 1m6f round the hurdles. An all-jumps course it also has a cross-country track which meanders all the way around the venue. It’s a huge, incredibly wide racecourse and as regards the racing surface it’s unbelievable. They have that much ground to work with, but it is so well maintained and there’s always a lot of fresh ground. An undulating course, you climb up when you pass the winning post before you turn right to the highest point of the track and jump what’s the second fence in the two-mile chase. You descend sharply to the ditch at the bottom of the hill but from then on Punchestown is pretty level with gentle rises and descents. It’s a wonderful chase course tending to suit horses who can run close to the pace in chases, not so much in hurdles. There’s a lot of galloping on the hurdle course with a long run from the last flight to the winning post.