Castletown-Geoghegan

TRACK GUIDE

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Castletown-Geoghegan has been a mainstay of the point-to-point scene in the midlands for four decades and is home to the Barbour Cup, one of the most prestigious races on the calendar which has a very rich history.

A left-handed course featuring five fences, the horses spend much of the race on the turn. Beginning at the new starting point which was relocated before the winning post in autumn 2018, the runners are quickly into the bend out of the home straight, and there is a fair run on the level before the runners arrive at the first fence. There is a further run away from the home straight which brings them over the second, after which they bare slightly left-handed into the back straight proper.

The runners begin to climb ever so slightly on the run to fence three and then turn once again and begin the steeper ascent to the top of the hill. Before they reach the top of the climb, they will jump fence four at the highest point of the course.

They shortly meet the final left-handed bend, which begins quite a notable downhill run into a dip early in the home straight. Before reaching the one and only fence in the home straight, which also acts as the final obstacle on the third circuit, there is a rise, but the climb is significantly less than the previous descent. Following the last, there is a short run-in to the line.

The prestigious Barbour Cup has ensured that many classy open performers have run at the course in recent times, from Tyrone Golden Rain, Tammys Hill, Ourmanmassini, Minella For Value, Gilgamboa, A Decent Excuse and Uxizandre.