Kilbeggan Races, pt. 2

(continuing an article originally written for a travel piece in an American mag.)

Meetings are held from May to September. The forecast for this September meeting that I am attending has held up, and though the sky is cast over in gray clouds, they are not those familiar weighty rain bearers. Poor weather can ruin a race day--certainly from the organizer's and jockey's--and horse's--point of view. But more to the point, the grassy fields tramped on by disgruntled punters quickly turn to mud.

The course itself, a narrow grassy lane, comes right alongside the Mullingar road, several miles north of the village. Ten horses might be vying for position along this turn. In fact, Kilbeggan is known as a tight track. This is an attraction for some trainers, who might wish to see how an inexperienced gelding will do under such conditions. The bend here is already well into the course, so it is unlikely that a pack would be close together at this point in a race.