Tim Carroll's Bio

Tim started off as a jockey in Australia before pursuing a media career. He is a highly experienced and respected racing presenter who has been based in England since 2005. Tim has travelled the world covering many of the major meetings, including Royal Ascot, The Epsom Derby, The International meeting from Sha Tin, The Dubai World Cup, The Everest, The Saudi Cup and The Breeders. He is currently a presenter for Sky Sports Racing, specialising in both the local and international scene. Tim is a regular contributor to the At The Races Website where his twice weekly tipping column on Hong Kong racing has gathered a strong following.

Curragh Racecourse – Track Analysis (Irish Derby Day)

Curragh racecourse, which is commonly referred to as ‘The Curragh’ - simply ‘The Place of the Running Horse’ in Gaelic - is a horseshoe shaped, right-handed course. With no sharp bends, it is generally a galloping track that nonetheless features a number of undulations throughout, in particular the 600m homestretch that races slightly uphill all the way. There are several starting points on the horseshoe courses up to 3200m, whilst the straight course, which has a chute on the bottom right hand side of the track that joins the main straight, has starting points from 1000m to 1600m.

The Irish Derby Day see’s eight turf races for coverage.

For both 1200m G2 Railway Stakes and the Listed Belgrave Stakes, they start from the chute that joins the main straight. On the straight track they will mostly look to come down the centre or grandstand side, as there is a gradual camber from the stand side to the far side, meaning the stand side is usually a tad drier, thus high draws are preferred. Horses can win from anywhere, but those that go too quickly on the front will usually be found out over the concluding stages.

For the 1000m Rockingham Handicap, it sounds the obvious thing to say, but the 1000m start has the same characteristics as the 1200m start, in that they join the main straight after 400m, and high draws are preferred, as they will mostly look to come down the grandstand side and the centre.

For the 1400m Summer Fillies Handicap, it runs on the straight course, although there is a slight bend not long after they leave the stalls, but as its one of the widest parts of the track, it has very little impact. Again, the characteristics are similar to the 1200m start. However, the stalls are usually placed in the middle of the track, and they do have several different positions for the running rail. Thus, if the rail is toward the grandstand side, then high draws aren’t seen as disadvantageous, but riders will prefer a low draw when the rail is placed toward the far side. But just to add further complication, if the ground is soft, then riders will look to go to the high side where the drier ground is usually found, thus a high draw is seen as an advantage.

The 1600m Derby Festival Handicap starts from the 1600m chute, which is precisely the Guineas trip. Often referred to as a straight mile, it is nevertheless a misnomer, as a massive, gradual, right-handed dog-leg presents itself some 300m after the break, eventually funneling the field back into the straight. Thus, it is tantamount for both stalkers and deep closers to fetch cover early, especially in bigger fields, as it is almost impossible to cut the breeze and win it every step of the way, especially on days when fields are racing into a strong head-wind.

Another race which also run over 1600m is Celebration Stakes. This race starts from the New Course. They jump out and go approximately 300m before meeting a big gradual sweeping bend that eventually leads into the straight. It is important, especially in bigger fields that those who don’t look to lead find some cover, as it’s hard to cut the breeze and win, especially on days when there is some wind about.

Both G1 Irish Derby and the Ragusa Handicap are run over 2400m. The Derby is run on the course that bares its name, The Derby Course. Although it is a 2400m race, barriers can be important as they are constantly turning until they meet the straight. Whilst none of these bends are tight, there is a preference for a low draw in fields that are medium to large, especially for horses that like to sit handy. Like most races on the round course, horses can win from anywhere, but the uphill rise does tend to catch them out if they are ridden aggressively. The barrier draw has had little impact on the Derby, as it’s a race that rarely draws a large field, with the average field size over the last eleven renewals being 8.9, whilst the average winning barrier during that time has been 4.3. Aiden O’Brien has dominated the race in recent times, recording fourteen wins since 1997.

Last year’s Irish Derby was run on Good ground as a field of eight went to post. On leaving the stalls, FRENCH CLAIM soon took up the running, with WESTOVER and PIZ BADILE in behind the leader, whilst TUESDAY settled in sixth on the rail, with only two behind her. The race barley changed complexion with FRENCH CLAIM ensuring an honest gallop from the front. The leader started to pick up the pace from the 800m mark, with WESTOVER in hot pursuit, and a bit of a break back to the others. As they came into the straight, WESTOVER, who was travelling well within himself, moved up outside the leader before putting three lengths between himself and the second 300m out, this then increased further, and eventually the English trained colt went on to win by seven-lengths, with PIZ BADILE winning the battle for second, whilst FRENCH CLAIM held on for third.

The weather forecast for Curragh during the week leading up to race day is for a mixture of sun and showers. The last ten renewals of Irish Derby Day have been run on ground with Good in the description, and given the forecast, chances are that will be the same this year, but it is possible there will be Yielding or Soft included in the description if the forecast are correct.

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