Courses

Ballindenisk

Track info

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County: Cork

Soil Type: Brown Podzolic - coarse, loamy

Fences per circuit: 5

Fences per 3 mile race: 12

Direction: Right-Handed

Course Distance:

Elevation Change (Highest to Lowest Point):

TRACK GUIDE

Not only has Ballindenisk been the home to a point-to-point since 1926, typically staging two fixtures each year, one in the autumn and one in the spring, but it is also home to some of the countries leading three-day events and has played host to other equestrian disciplines from Polo Cross to Show Jumping and Carriage Driving.

Starting towards the end of the back straight, the runners are soon racing downhill on the right-handed bend towards the home straight and what is a long run to the opening fence. In the home straight, the field take a left-handed elbow before meeting that first obstacle on the climb.

Ballindenisk is somewhat unique in that four fences are jumped in the home straight, two of which come before the winning post and there is a continuing climb all the way up the straight. The bend out of the home straight comes up quickly after the last of that quartet of fences at the highest point of the track.

Heading downhill in the back, fence five is the only fence jumped that is not positioned in the home straight, and as a result, there is a long run of close to half-a-mile on the flat, between what are the third and second-last fences on the final circuit.

CIARAN FENNESSY, RIDER

Ballindenisk is a big galloping track and probably one of the easier tracks to jump around, as four of the five fences are jumped on an uphill incline in the home straight.

The best horse usually wins around here - it is a very fair course. Turning in at the end of the back straight, the ground always tends to be a lot softer for a couple of furlongs than around the rest of the track, and it is a tough track that is usually best suited to riding a patient race.

I liked to ride it aiming to come home well.