Sligo Racecourse

Sligo Racecourse is a sharp, oval, right handed track. There is a steady incline from the final bend which is about two furlongs in length to the winning post. It is a dual purpose course which accommodates both flat and Jump racing.

This circuit is about eight furlongs in circumference and there are no chutes attached to the track and it is fairly narrow by racecourse standards.

They host a small number of flat meetings per year (It can vary slightly year to year), only three in 2016 and the main flat action takes place during the month of August.

Even though the course accommodates National Hunt races where the minimum distance race is over two miles there are no races on the flat over sixteen furlongs, the longest distance race is over a mile and six furlongs. There is also no races over the minimum trip of five furlongs despite being such a small circuit, the shortest race run at the track is over an extended six furlongs.

They are one of the few Irish courses that do not hold any pattern races throughout the year but still remains a popular destination amongst racegoers due to some of the on site activities that take place during racing and the scenic views across the landscape.

The draw doesn’t appear to hold any major advantage over any trip despite the track being sharp in nature.

What appears to be more important then the draw is track position during a race, especially in the home straight where horses that hold a prominent position are often favoured.

Those that are making their run from further behind from the final turn up the home straight can have their work cut out to make up the necessary ground and even more so if there is a lack of pace from the offset.

Therefore, looking for horses that like to race handy and where there is a good possibility of a lack of early pace should be strongly considered.

There are no worthwhile trainer stats to report due to the limited number of flat meetings that take place per season but there is one trainer who has demonstrated in more recent seasons that his runners can often go well in 3yo handicap races, his name is Harry Rogers where he is starting to prove profitable from what runners he has sent so far.