LAST weekend’s Irish racing schedule had a different look. There was no ‘Super Sunday’ at Tipperary, and instead we had racing at the Curragh on Arc day. That will again be the case next year, as ‘the Junction’ prepares to take on a new role as Ireland’s second all-weather racecourse.

Historically, Tipperary has been a jack-of-all-trades track. A dual-purpose course, it had a bit of everything. In 2025, the last full season there, they hosted 11 meetings, six flat and five National Hunt. Despite a low number of total fixtures, Tipperary managed to race on every day of the week except Saturday.

That sort of situation can mean a track lacks identity. It is my view that racecourses which do best in terms of engagement and attendance have some set slots in the week. Punters and racegoers become familiar with the pattern, and that is significant as the current media rights funding model for racecourses is linked to betting turnover.

Dundalk Stadium comes out well here. The idea of ‘Friday Night Lights’ has always had a touch of irony, but it can be argued that the track has the second-best slot in week. Sunday is clearly number one, but Friday evenings might be next best with Saturdays often suffering due to clashes with UK racing. Not only that, but Dundalk has that position consistently through the winter.

Dundalk retains those slots in the latter part of next year, per the 2027 fixture list, and Tipperary will have more of an identity when they start racing, though it might not be an identity they want. Following what will presumably be a gala opening evening on Saturday, October 23rd, the track becomes an early weekday evening meeting venue with seven more pre-Christmas slots, all on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

It is hardly the relative glamour of Dundalk, and the dynamic between the two tracks will be interesting to see develop, as they will clearly be competing to host the same type of horse at the same time of the year.

Tipperary is located much closer to most of the bigger flat yards in Ireland, and rising fuel costs will likely make it an appealing option for many but, as someone from the northeast of the country, I would not like to see Dundalk suffer.

We have yet to see the racing programme for Tipperary, but the track has hosted plenty of good flat racing over the years.

Follow Slattery’s jumpers

GOWRAN Park benefited from the Tipperary redevelopment on Saturday, picking up three blacktype races from Super Sunday for what proved an informative autumn jumps card.

It was an excellent day for Andy Slattery with a double and it probably would have been a treble but for the last hurdle fall of Ebony King in the opener. Fleur In The Park won the feature and did not have much to beat, his main rival Blood Destiny stretched by the trip in what was a de facto match. On the positive side, his time was much the fastest of the four chases over the intermediate trip on the card and his trainer reported him only “80 or 85%” fit. I have gotten him wrong in recent years, believing he is a two-miler, but he stays this trip well now and in a muddled batch of second-season chasers around this trip and further, he looks more reliable than most.

Sir Allen looked much improved for fences to win on chase debut, returning from a break, and should be winning again at his level. He has missed time in the past but is only seven and seems to handle all ground.

Ebony King should have won the opening listed hurdle, going best and about half a length up when falling at the last, though his hurdling in general lacked fluency, not for the first time. He has a big engine, but this was a double sickener for connections as he not only lost the race, but his mark went up 7lb. Slattery is aiming high with him, however, a Morgiana entry mentioned afterwards.

Frankie likes fences

FRANKIE John won the Grade 3 Like A Butterfly Novice Chase that was slowly-run, three and a half lengths covering the first four. He had a messy season last term, meeting ground slower than ideal and then having a training issue when it came right in the spring and having to miss the Martin Pipe.

He looks a better chaser, and certainly has the physique for it, making the runner-up Vicar Street look small here, jumping better as the race went on and shaping as if a more truly-run race would suit. That comment also applies to the third Bowensonfire, who did his best work over hurdles in top handicaps and went more around the inner here.

Witches Familiar was an apt winner for the time of year and created the best visual impression on the card, landing the Grade 3 novice hurdle in facile style. The form is nothing special – she beat the 125-rated Switch From Diesel by 10 lengths getting a pound, that mare not at her best as she jumped left and made errors – but she passed the eye test.

Perhaps the most solid piece of form from Gowran came the previous evening in the Listed Mucklemeg Bumper.

Run at a strong pace, the winner and runner-up came clear and the first five had all won their previous starts.

Long’way travelled the better of the first two, but Sarahs Lawn found most in the straight and was well on top at the line, looking a good prospect. Declan Queally said afterwards that she would stay in bumpers this season and be aimed at the spring festivals.

The listed bumper for mares at Navan next month might suit her while the fourth, Thelittleballerina, is one to keep in mind stepping back up in trip. Her two previous bumper wins had come at two and a half miles. Having travelled well here, she struggled to go with shaper types before keeping on well.

RACING at the Curragh on Sunday was dominated by a couple of fine training performances in the featured listed races, Paddy Twomey and the Hartys bringing back King Cuan and Carla Ridge from breaks of 160 and 147 days respectively to win in good style.

Both winners were suited by coming from behind in races run at strong gallops but likely would have won in any case.

King Cuan was produced late, travelling on the bridle, and Carla Ridge was always travelling best. King Cuan has an entry in the Horses In Training Sale at Tattersalls later this month and added to his value here, while Carla Ridge may come back in 2027, her campaign this season limited to two runs after a pulled muscle.

This card was run on the middle track at the Curragh, one of three available to the course, the near side and Curragh side the other options. The middle track looks the closest to fair of the three sprint courses. High numbers tend to be favoured on the other two, but this meeting and the three other races on the middle track in August point to less of a bias.

Jockeys seem much more willing to come up the central part of the track on this course. While Carla Ridge was drawn 14, the one that chased her home came from stall one.

In the big field sprint handicap that followed later, the first six home were drawn 6-12-19-13-4-2, suggesting a pretty level playing field.

It might be something to make a note of for the few remaining meetings, and more so next season.