Southwell

Left-handed and tight, Southwell is a sharp track whose character can change dramatically depending on underfoot conditions. On quicker ground, speed and tactical positioning are particularly important, with prominent racers often favoured as those dropping off the pace can find it difficult to make up lost ground.

Soft or heavy conditions provide a completely different test, placing much greater emphasis on stamina. Long-distance races on particularly testing ground can become extremely attritional, with fields often badly strung out and relatively few horses completing.

The portable fences provide a more demanding jumping examination than at many comparable tracks, making accurate, efficient jumping important. The brush-type hurdles can also punish mistakes more severely than traditional flights, placing additional emphasis on fluency. Overall, Southwell rewards handy horses that travel strongly and jump efficiently on faster ground, while stamina and an ability to cope with demanding conditions become increasingly important when the going deteriorates.