worst tracks in the country.

sting60

In no order here is my list of the five worst tracks in the republic.Bellewstown,kilbeggan,Ballinrobe,Sligo,Tramore.Kilbeggan keeps getting prime dates,friday evenings???Just wondering does Michael O Leary have a say.Roscommon is turning out to be the Windsor of Ireland with monday evenings a norm.What a waste and shame for such a lovely track.John Oxx once said its in the top three courses in the country for 2yr olds.

Whyno

Tramore is only fit to be a dog track

smartaform

It's amazing some of the tracks in this country actually hold race meetings. Most countries have a standard which has to be met.... I know there is something in place with the Turf Club. But in all seriousness there shouldn't be racing on a good few of the tracks.

gscully

I don't particularly like Down Royal myself.

Cantoris

sting60 wrote: »

Bellewstown,kilbeggan,Ballinrobe,Sligo,Tramore.

It is funny how at least three of those tracks attract bumper crowds for every meeting. Didn't Tramore beat its own attendance record on New Years Day. I'd say more people show up regularly at these "country" tracks than at the Curragh/Leopardstown.

the quality of the track for racing, it's facilities and it's ability to attract patrons have very little relationship. You could have a very poor card in Tramore in August and get more than at Leopardstown the same evening. The latter is gaining patrons by running bands after racing.

From a pure racetrack basis, I can't say I'm a fan of Wexford, Listowel or Galway. I think no-one likes the track at Tramore.

sting60

gscully wrote: »

I don't particularly like Down Royal myself.

terrible track with downpatrick worse but are not under the governance of the turf club.Just look at the way they are utilising Dundalk,total shame .fixtures end on 10th december this year????Politics is alive and well with this shower residing in Leopardstown.Just look at the Mc Donagh hcp at the Galway festival.A certain top trainer complained about the conditions of entry to the turf and the rules were changed to suit,he won last three runnings.

sting60

Cantoris wrote: »

It is funny how at least three of those tracks attract bumper crowds for every meeting. Didn't Tramore beat its own attendance record on New Years Day. I'd say more people show up regularly at these "country" tracks than at the Curragh/Leopardstown.

the quality of the track for racing, it's facilities and it's ability to attract patrons have very little relationship. You could have a very poor card in Tramore in August and get more than at Leopardstown the same evening. The latter is gaining patrons by running bands after racing.

From a pure racetrack basis, I can't say I'm a fan of Wexford, Listowel or Galway. I think no-one likes the track at Tramore.

Correct,Roscommon will always beat a Leopardstown,Curragh for attendance for midweek.This is down to pressure from top trainers to run these meetings at leopardstown/curragh yet they lose hugh monies in doing so.the question is which is the worst track for horses to run on.The rural tracks are suffering big time in winter due to the poor facilities on offer to patrons.Look at the greyhound model they[IGB] invested in new facilities to cope with winter and have been hughly rewarded in comparison to the english scene which is in meltdown.Good luck to the rural tracks but if certain people in the turf club had their way these tracks would be long gone.I just cannot agree that Kilbeggan gets prime slots ahead of Roscommon.Everybody knows why this is the case and goes to show that the whole industry is rotten to the very core.Kilbeggan is a shocking excuse for a racetrack.

Cantoris

sting60 wrote: »

terrible track with downpatrick worse but are not under the governance of the turf club.Just look at the way they are utilising Dundalk,total shame .fixtures end on 10th december this year????Politics is alive and well with this shower residing in Leopardstown.Just look at the Mc Donagh hcp at the Galway festival.A certain top trainer complained about the conditions of entry to the turf and the rules were changed to suit,he won last three runnings.

I think Down Royal is a pretty fair track. It's a little narrow down the far side for chasers but the fences are stiff and a good test. The track itself is a decent test similar to Gowran. The downhill run to the finish is not everyones cup of tea but no different to Roscommon or Gowran Park. Plenty of Southern trainers bring their better horses here although when it's quick it's quick as the wind dries it out in a day or two. The facilities at the track is something completely different and would have food on the way rather than get it at the track.

What happened the conditions of the old McDonagh?

sting60

Cantoris wrote: »

I think Down Royal is a pretty fair track. It's a little narrow down the far side for chasers but the fences are stiff and a good test. The track itself is a decent test similar to Gowran. The downhill run to the finish is not everyones cup of tea but no different to Roscommon or Gowran Park. Plenty of Southern trainers bring their better horses here although when it's quick it's quick as the wind dries it out in a day or two. The facilities at the track is something completely different and would have food on the way rather than get it at the track.

What happened the conditions of the old McDonagh?

Roscommon doesnt have a downhill finish infact you climb the whole way from the turn in.see where these horses ran prior to Galway and their breeding.

Cantoris

sting60 wrote: »

Roscommon doesnt have a downhill finish infact you climb the whole way from the turn in.see where these horses ran prior to Galway and their breeding.

Its been a while since I was there but thought it climbed to the end of the back straight, then slightly downhill all the way into the straight and then uphill to the line (from second last flight). Like Gowran and Down Royal, although the uphill is at the last flight in both of those.

I'm still lost on the McDonagh. Who were the last three winners and what condition was changed.

convert

sting60 wrote: »

Just look at the Mc Donagh hcp at the Galway festival.A certain top trainer complained about the conditions of entry to the turf and the rules were changed to suit,he won last three runnings.

sting60 wrote: »

see where these horses ran prior to Galway and their breeding.

So are you going to enlighten us as to the conditions of the McDonagh handicap and how they were changed?

Cantoris

sting60 wrote: »

Roscommon doesnt have a downhill finish infact you climb the whole way from the turn in.

I was watching the racing from Roscommon this evening. It's def downhill from the turn in to between the second last and the last and then steep uphill. Are my eyes completely deceiving me??

sting60

Cantoris wrote: »

I was watching the racing from Roscommon this evening. It's def downhill from the turn in to between the second last and the last and then steep uphill. Are my eyes completely deceiving me??

I used to play 50 yrs ago at the bottom of the hill .All bar Kilbeggan need help .

Cantoris

sting60 wrote: »

I used to play 50 yrs ago at the bottom of the hill

So where exactly is the bottom of the hill in relation to the furlong markers and home turn?

finbarrk

sting60 wrote: »

Correct,Roscommon will always beat a Leopardstown,Curragh for attendance for midweek.This is down to pressure from top trainers to run these meetings at leopardstown/curragh yet they lose hugh monies in doing so.the question is which is the worst track for horses to run on.The rural tracks are suffering big time in winter due to the poor facilities on offer to patrons.Look at the greyhound model they[IGB] invested in new facilities to cope with winter and have been hughly rewarded in comparison to the english scene which is in meltdown.Good luck to the rural tracks but if certain people in the turf club had their way these tracks would be long gone.I just cannot agree that Kilbeggan gets prime slots ahead of Roscommon.Everybody knows why this is the case and goes to show that the whole industry is rotten to the very core.Kilbeggan is a shocking excuse for a racetrack.

Sorry but I don't know why Kilbeggan gets these prime dates. It's a track I don't like either, we got a horse broke down on the hard ground there once.
Has it got some close connection with someone high up in HRI or something?

Cantoris

finbarrk wrote: »

Sorry but I don't know why Kilbeggan gets these prime dates. It's a track I don't like either, we got a horse broke down on the hard ground there once.
Has it got some close connection with someone high up in HRI or something?

I think Sting would be indicating that Mr Ryanair might influence the number of meetings a track in West Meath might get, given his home location of West Meath.

Kilbeggan, like Tramore and Tipperary, was saved by a lot of hard work and a few bob from local businessmen. While I don't like the track at Kilbeggan or Tramore, it does draw the crowds. I believe Tipperary has done a remarkable job with its ground and as a result, they have got some big fields during the Summer.

finbarrk

Kilbeggan does indeed get well supported by racegoers anyway. Maybe it's because it's all N.H. even though it's Summer racing.
Anyway we are entered in the most beautifull racecourse in the country next week!

Cantoris

finbarrk wrote: »

Anyway we are entered in the most beautifull racecourse in the country next week!

That must be Killarney??

s-cogan

i wouldnt have a problem with the track in tramore, as i find the changing cambers and unbalancing nature of the track make it a good test of a supposedly good horse's intelligence. proves class in my opinion.

kfallon

s-cogan wrote: »

i wouldnt have a problem with the track in tramore, as i find the changing cambers and unbalancing nature of the track make it a good test of a supposedly good horse's intelligence. proves class in my opinion.

Just like Epsom eh, only the other way round

It always annoys me that if we ran our Irish Derby at Tramore the Brits would be laughing at us but when they run their premier 'Classic' on a kip of a track it's seen as the ultimate test of a thoroughbred....FFS!

UrbanSea

From Sligo myself,and not a fan of the track at all. I'm not a huge fan of many tracks in the country,I like Naas and Curragh. I'd like to add that I also hate the Galway Festival,awful horses running for astounding money.

Itsdacraic

On a purely "track" basis Limerick is a nightmare. I know a good few trainers who are very reluctant to run horses there due to ground. There were 4 horses put down at a single meeting there a few months back. The amount of fallers at the two fences in the home straight must be the higest of any home stretch in the country.

The facilities and viewing are top notch, but the track is ****. The crowds are fairly poor as well (although it may just seem that way due to size of the place).

s-cogan

kfallon wrote: »

Just like Epsom eh, only the other way round

It always annoys me that if we ran our Irish Derby at Tramore the Brits would be laughing at us but when they run their premier 'Classic' on a kip of a track it's seen as the ultimate test of a thoroughbred....FFS!

ya totally, i knew an old jump jockey, he rode in a few grand nationals in the forties, but he used to say epsom made tramore look a fierce nice track to ride. your so right about the english, too.

Cantoris

I've walked the Espsom Derby course and it is certainly unique, but there is nothing wrong with it for the first four furlongs which is all uphill and quite a tough climb. Once you turn at the top of the hill, the next four furlongs are a bit of a rush. After walking it I drove a car down the inside track at 35mph to Tattenham Corner. It's a bit like going down a black slope when you're only used to the reds. Once they straighten up, it's really just the cambre you have to worry about and that comes down to the horse's balance.

Tramore is a tight, turning track the whole way around. There is no part of it I'd like.