Wexford
NATIONAL HUNT: Wexford is an undulating, rectangular track of nine-and-a-half furlongs in extent. It was reconfigured in 2015 and races are now run left-handed, rather than right-handed, with a new winning post some way to the right of the stands. It remains very much a sharp track with tight turns which favours the speedy, handy type, particularly the hurdles course which is on the inside of the chase one. There are six fences to a circuit of the chase course, three in the home straight and two on the far side.
ABOUT: As of May 2016, Wexford racecourse is an exclusively National Hunt venue, and is popular for its summertime meetings held on Friday evenings. Racing has been held in the area since at least the 1870s.
In the sunny south-east, Wexford is now an all-National Hunt venue. The change from a right-handed to a left-handed course has made this a much better venue for jumps racing. The winning post is to the right of the grandstand and what used to be a tight venue has now had extensions and it’s a stiffer track. You climb in the back straight, descend across to the bottom of the track before you reach the home straight, climb sharply off the home turn and then it’s uphill all the way from there to the winning post. It has definitely benefited from being changed in direction and has turned into a stayers’ track having previously been something of a speed track.