Courses
Rockfield
Track info
County: Roscommon |
Soil Type: Luvisols - fine, loamy |
Fences per circuit: 5 |
Fences per 3 mile race: 15 |
Direction: Left-Handed |
Course Distance: 1.05m |
Elevation Change (Highest to Lowest Point): |
TRACK GUIDE
Rockfield was introduced to the point-to-point calendar in 2008 and replaced the Co. Roscommon Hunt's previous track at Lisbride, which had been home to their point-to-point since 2002, shortly after the hunt was revived following a significant break.
A left-handed course of over a mile in circumference, runners begin at the entrance to the back straight, from there they have a short run to fence one, which is the first of three fences jumped along that section of the course. After racing through a gap, they jump fence two, with the third fence coming before the bottom bend.
There is an even pull from this point all the way to the winning post, with two fences being jumped in the home straight and a relatively short run-in to the line. The track levels out somewhat from that point, and there is still a good run to the bend at the end of the home straight, which is taken on the descent.
Eider Chase and Grand National Trial winner Portrait King, and black type winner American, are among the four-year-old maiden winners at the track who have gone on to achieve notable track success.
DEREK O'CONNOR
Rockfield is a lovely track, almost rectangular in shape. It is reasonably flat and I think it is quite a fair, simple track to ride.
Tactically, I find that how you ride a race around it very much depends on the pace of the race. The ground tends to be soft here and it can be quite a test of stamina.
Rockfield is a lovely track to introduce a horse and give them their first run.