Right handed, flat and essentially sharp in character. One of the sharpest tests in the country when the ground is firmer than good, hold-up tactics usually counter-productive, but on very testing going the course can provide a surprisingly thorough test, often resulting in strung-out fields and a low percentage of completions, especially on the hurdles course, perhaps a cause of its fundamentally tight nature ensuring races are well run regardless of conditions, front runners often overdoing things. The fences are stiff, with the three in the home straight coming so close together that it often proves difficult to come from behind.