Tipperary Course Guide

A left-handed, flat, oval track of a mile and two furlongs in length. There is a straight track of five furlongs that joins with the main track at the entrance to the two and a half furlong straight.

A real speed track that is flat in the main. It isn’t impossible to make up ground from off the pace on the round track, as the straight is good and long, but it isn’t easy to do so when the ground is on the softer side. Over the extended seven furlongs, the bend comes up quite quickly, so a low draw is a big help. The sprint track is probably the fastest one in the country. The draw isn’t a big factor when the ground is quick, but when it gets soft there is a definite advantage in being drawn high, as the riders tend to come up the stand side looking for less testing ground.

View from the saddle: Mick Kinane

A flat, left-handed, oval track with a circuit of about nine furlongs in extent. It is generally galloping in character. The chase course is set out inside the hurdles track with six fences to a circuit and two in the home straight of two and a half furlongs; the run-in is around a furlong.

Tipperary is a quick track, it’s quite similar to Cork only they race in the opposite direction. The chase track is certainly quick, it is quite sharp and the fences ride well. In general, I’d rather be handy than riding a waiting race, as things happen quickly there and the ones in front don’t come back too easily up the flat straight. When it rains, it can get very testing there and the ground isn’t dissimilar to Listowel and Sligo in those circumstances, as it becomes particularly hard work for a lot of horses.

View from the saddle: Charlie Swan