Courses

Toomebridge

Track info

County: Antrim

Soil Type:

Fences per circuit: 5

Fences per 3 mile race: 16

Direction: Left-Handed

Course Distance:

Elevation Change (Highest to Lowest Point):

TRACK GUIDE


Since 2005, Toomebridge has been the home of the Mid-Antrim autumn point-to-point, and has often been the season curtain raiser.

An undulating track, Toomebridge is a relatively sharp course. Beginning in a separate starting chute on the entrance to the home straight, the field have a nice run to the only fence in the home straight before passing the winning post.

Once turning left-handed, the track begins to climb on the run to fence two which will eventually bring the runners into the back straight following a further left-handed bend. This second left-handed bend which brings them into the back straight, marks the beginning of a further climb and the highest point of the course at fence three.

Once negotiating that obstacle, the climb immediately levels out and the decent all the way to the home straight begins. They will jump two further fences, four and five, before they leave the back straight behind then, with the left-handed bend marking the steepest point of the descent. Coming at such an important point in a race, handling this downhill bend is often crucial.

Grade 1 winner Yorkhill made his debut at the course, unseating at the second-last when likely set to score, whilst Rathvinden, the 2018 National Hunt Chase winner at the Cheltenham Festival, came down at the last on his debut whilst holding every chance.

MARK O'HARE

Toomebridge is a very tight course and it is a fast three miles around there.

You have a real advantage if you are on a horse that has had some previous experience, because the last four fences are all jumped going downhill, so that experience really counts, and it also helps to have a forward going horse.

It is a place where it is a definite advantage to race around the inner, especially on a well-balanced horse.