Wednesday 22 May 2019

Irish Racecourse: Wexford


Wexford Racecourse is situated in Bettyville, on the outskirts of Wexford, the county town of County Wexford, in the ‘Sunny South East’ of Ireland. Wexford Racecourse was originally right-handed but, in April 2015, was switched to left-handed, creating an uphill finish and a more exciting spectacle for National Hunt racing, with the final two obstacles positioned in front of the grandstand. However, despite remedial work, the major change proved less successful for Flat racing and, with field sizes limited to just ten runners, Wexford became a National Hunt-only venue in May 2016. 

Nowadays, Wexford retains its previous allocation of eleven National Hunt fixtures, including four Friday evening fixtures, between March and October. Currently, Wexford stages no Listed or Graded contests, but that may well change over time as the racecourse executive seeks to increase the quantity and quality of its National Hunt programme. 

The steeplechase course at Wexford is a right-handed, undulating rectangle, approximately a mile and a quarter around, with six, moderately stiff fences – just one of which is in the home straight – and a run-in of less than a furlong. The two-furlong home straight climbs steadily to the winning post and beyond but, even so, Wexford is sharp in character, with tight turns, such that it is not really a course for long-striding, galloping types. The hurdles course, which again features six hurdles to a circuit, is laid out inside the steeplechase course and, as such, is sharper again. The undulating nature of the course often leads to uneven drainage and hence patchy, less-than-uniform going conditions.


Enjoying Wexford Racecourse - Ladies Day