Racecourse Guide

Roscommon
Flat

Racecourse Road, Lenabane, Roscommon town · Connacht’s Monday-and-Tuesday summer track

⬤ Flat Turf
Turf
Right-Handed
Speed Track
Evening Racing

Round Course
~1m2f right-handed
Run-in
~3½f one source says 3f
Direction
Right-handed
Surface
Turf incline to the post
Character
Sharp a speed track
Key Race
Lenebane Stakes Listed · July

Course Overview

Track Character

Roscommon’s Flat racing is Monday-and-Tuesday evening racing — part of a ten-fixture May-to-October season (ignore the “nine meetings, May to September” line still circulating; the dated 2025 and 2026 lists both say ten, into October) at a track that has raced officially since 1885 and unofficially since an 1837 meeting the course credits to the town’s British garrison. The identity is family-first: eight of ten fixtures run in the evening, live music starts after the second-last race, and July’s Ladies Day is the card the county circles.

The track is sharp and quick — a right-handed circuit of about a mile and a quarter (the course’s own site gives 1m2f on one page and 1m1f on another, and sources genuinely split on oval versus rectangular). The home straight undulates slightly and rises to the post off a run-in of about three and a half furlongs. It is emphatically a speed track: the quantified pace figures below are among the starkest on any Irish page in this series.

“Roscommon is a quick and sharp track, but it rides well. In general, it suits those that have the pace to get prominent. The draw isn’t a major issue over the shorter trips as they have plenty of time to sort themselves out. There is a steady rise up to the finish, but I would sooner describe it as a speed track than a testing one.”
— Mick Kinane, former champion Irish Flat jockey — At The Races

The data agrees with every clause of that. “Suits those that have the pace to get prominent” is quantified below at Impact Values the wrong side of embarrassing for hold-up riders; “the draw isn’t a major issue” matches the broadest study’s “you can win from any draw here” — with one contested seven-furlong exception the draw section takes seriously; and “a speed track, not a testing one” is the whole betting identity of the place in eight words.

Course Facts

  • Circuit Right-handed, ~1m2f — the course’s own website also says 1m1f on a second page; shape is described as oval by some sources, rectangular by others
  • Profile Broadly flat with a slightly undulating home straight and a steady rise to the post; run-in ~3½f
  • Bends Relatively sharp — the second-last is independently rated the trickiest
  • Trips 7f handicaps through the Lenebane’s 1m4f17y; no 5f–6f sprint programme was found in current cards
  • Season Ten fixtures, May to mid-October, all Mondays/Tuesdays, eight of them evenings

Pace & Speed

  • Front-runners Impact Values of 2.5 at 7f, a huge 3.71 at 1m2f, and 1.42 at 1m4f (course study)
  • The rule “The further off the pace you are at Roscommon, the more of a disadvantage it is”
  • Rider view Kinane: a speed track, not a testing one — prominent pace is the asset
  • Caveat No IV figures exist for sprint trips, and no sample sizes are published

Lenebane Stakes & Ladies Day

  • Status Listed since its 2006 inception — €45,000 in 2025, exactly the new HRI Listed floor
  • Trip 1m4f17y on the dated 2025 card — the “1m3f” still printed elsewhere is stale
  • Records John Oxx trained six winners; Chris Hayes has ridden three
  • The day Ladies Day, first day of the July meeting — the course’s biggest single card

Draw Bias by Distance

The broadest dataset says there is nothing to see: the course study’s percentage-of-rivals-beaten figures for low, middle and high are “very close whatever the distance,” and its headline is simply “you can win from any draw here.” Kinane’s rider view matches — over the shorter trips the field has time to sort itself out. The one genuine argument is at seven furlongs, where two specialist sources reach opposite conclusions: one finds a slight low-draw edge; the other counted big-field 7f handicaps and found outside draws winning 13 of 21 — while itself warning the sample is small. Three positions at one trip — none, low, high — is not a bias you can bet; it’s a debate you should know exists.

7f
Genuinely Disputed
No bias (the broadest study) vs a slight low edge (one specialist site) vs high draws 13-of-21 in 10+ runner handicaps (another, self-caveated as small-sample). Three sourced answers; treat any single one with suspicion.
1m – 1m2f
No Meaningful Bias
“Win from any draw” is the study’s own headline, and Kinane agrees there’s time to take a position. The stall number matters far less than who controls the gallop into the sharp second-last bend.
1m4f
Position, Not Stalls
Over the Lenebane trip the front-runner Impact Value still reads 1.42 — the draw’s influence is long gone by the first bend, but early position never stops paying at this track.

Sources: the Geegeez course study (PRB “very close whatever the distance”; front-runner IVs 2.5/3.71/1.42 at 7f/1m2f/1m4f), drawbias.com (slight low edge at 7f, no figures published), irishbettingsites.com (high draws 13-of-21 in big-field 7f handicaps, self-caveated small sample), and Mick Kinane’s rider view via At The Races. No stalls-level draw pull has been run for this page yet; quantified bars will follow.

Top Trainers & Jockeys

TrainerRunsWinsWin%PlacesPlace%A/EP/L
1 O’Brien, Joseph Patrick2044120.10%9446.08%0.93-23.95
2 Lyons, G M1673722.16%7947.31%1.08+23.51
3 Harrington, Mrs John2013316.42%7436.82%1.05-0.24
4 Bolger, J S2472610.53%6727.13%0.85-24.21
5 Weld, D K1671911.38%6237.13%0.65-76.99
6 Murtagh, J P1211714.05%5343.80%0.78-45.90
7 O’Brien, A P991717.17%4444.44%0.64-49.42
8 Meade, Noel1071413.08%3431.78%0.91-11.82
9 McCreery, W1021413.73%2726.47%1.10-2.37
10 Cromwell, Gavin Patrick961414.58%4445.83%0.99-15.75
11 Oxx, John M601220.00%2236.67%1.12+11.33
12 Twomey, P241145.83%1770.83%1.48+13.44
13 Halford, M1001010.00%2929.00%0.78-33.50
14 Oliver, Andrew1001010.00%3434.00%0.84-58.75
15 Prendergast, Kevin991010.10%2626.26%0.72-29.09
16 Rogers, H10898.33%2725.00%0.90-10.00
17 McGuinness, Adrian10099.00%2828.00%0.93-20.50
18 Slattery, Andrew86910.47%2023.26%1.09-34.67
19 McConnell, John C11476.14%2219.30%0.87-2.75
20 Lavery, Ms Sheila62711.29%1320.97%1.20-17.42

Roscommon Flat, since 2010. Joseph Patrick O’Brien leads the page on volume (41 wins from 204, 20.1% SR, A/E 0.93). The real value signals are P Twomey (A/E 1.48, +£13.44). Oppose the over-bet A P O’Brien (A/E 0.64), D K Weld (A/E 0.65) and Kevin Prendergast (A/E 0.72).
JockeyRunsWinsWin%PlacesPlace%A/EP/L
1 Keane, C T2935017.06%11840.27%0.88-34.76
2 Foley, Shane3163410.76%9229.11%0.78-124.08
3 Lee, W J2343314.10%8435.90%0.99-86.80
4 McDonogh, D P2193214.61%7232.88%1.00-22.68
5 Hayes, C D301289.30%8327.57%0.78-66.93
6 Carroll, G F2422811.57%7530.99%1.02-73.74
7 Manning, K J1832312.57%5630.60%0.94+24.29
8 Smullen, P J1592314.47%5534.59%0.82-49.02
9 Coen, Ben M1302015.38%4534.62%1.06-14.45
10 Lordan, W M183189.84%4926.78%0.80-87.42
11 Berry, F M981616.33%3838.78%1.09-7.83
12 Whelan, R P208157.21%5024.04%0.75-72.72
13 McMonagle, Dylan B1041413.46%4846.15%0.67-56.44
14 Roche, L F148117.43%2416.22%1.20-47.12
15 O’Brien, Donnacha551018.18%2749.09%0.76-18.89
16 O’Donoghue, C71912.68%2129.58%1.05+6.25
17 O’Brien, J P57915.79%2442.11%0.69-3.05
18 Cleary, R P22873.07%3816.67%0.46-167.50
19 Heffernan, J A19273.65%3317.19%0.42-157.17
20 Slattery, A J7878.97%2228.21%0.83-22.25

Roscommon Flat, since 2010. C T Keane leads the riders on volume (50 wins from 293, 17.1% SR, A/E 0.88), though the market prices that in. Oppose the over-bet J A Heffernan (A/E 0.42), R P Cleary (A/E 0.46) and Dylan B McMonagle (A/E 0.67).

Top Sires

A/E above 1.0 indicates market underestimation.

SireRunsWinsWin%PlacesPlace%A/EP/L
1 Galileo (IRE)1051312.38%4240.00%0.63-20.79
2 Elzaam (AUS)841113.10%2428.57%1.30-9.21
3 Zoffany (IRE)73912.33%2432.88%0.91-10.75
4 Big Bad Bob (IRE)57915.79%1729.82%1.17-9.80
5 Australia41921.95%1536.59%1.56+12.73
6 Holy Roman Emperor (IRE)65812.31%1827.69%1.02+5.00
7 Intense Focus (USA)58813.79%1627.59%1.23-5.29
8 Fastnet Rock (AUS)54814.81%1324.07%1.09-13.12
9 Sea The Stars (IRE)45817.78%2044.44%0.85-13.30
10 Pivotal28828.57%1760.71%1.70+52.50
11 Fast Company (IRE)7679.21%2330.26%0.85+89.21
12 Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE)64710.94%1523.44%1.14-11.58
13 Jeremy (USA)54712.96%1324.07%1.34+15.50
14 Dandy Man (IRE)8367.23%2428.92%0.73-21.67
15 Footstepsinthesand7368.22%1216.44%0.75-48.50
16 Invincible Spirit (IRE)57610.53%2442.11%0.83-25.25
17 Lope De Vega (IRE)47612.77%1736.17%0.81-24.72
18 Camelot45613.33%1737.78%0.75-16.89
19 Captain Rio34617.65%926.47%1.82+29.75
20 Profitable (IRE)33618.18%824.24%1.86+19.83

Roscommon Flat, since 2010. Galileo (IRE) tops the sire list (13 wins from 105, 12.4% SR, A/E 0.63), though the market prices that in. The real value signals are Pivotal (A/E 1.70, +£52.50), Captain Rio (A/E 1.82, +£29.75) and Profitable (IRE) (A/E 1.86, +£19.83). Oppose the over-bet Dandy Man (IRE) (A/E 0.73), Footstepsinthesand (A/E 0.75) and Camelot (A/E 0.75).

Betting Tips for Roscommon Flat Turf

Never be out the back at Roscommon

Front-runner Impact Values of 2.5 at 7f and 3.71 at a mile and a quarter are among the most lopsided pace figures at any Irish track — and the study’s own rule is that the further back you are, the worse it gets. Confirmed pace angles beat class angles here.

🏆

Keane and Lyons across every window

Colin Keane (27 wins since 2009, +9.46 blind; 16 wins in the separate 2015–20 window) and Ger Lyons (29 wins at 20.91%; 14 at 24% in the second window) lead both independent long-run datasets. When the stable and rider combine here, the market rarely under-prices it — but the strike rates justify the shorts.

📈

The recent-form names differ from the legacy ones

The last-three-years table reads Joseph O’Brien (17 from 81) and Billy Lee (12 from 56, 21.43%) with Ben Coen close behind — a different cast from the since-2009 leaders. Both windows are real; know which one your stat came from.

Treat every 7f draw claim as unproven

Three sources, three answers at seven furlongs — none, low, high — and the only quantified one warns about its own sample. If a preview leans hard on a Roscommon draw stat, it picked a side the evidence doesn’t settle. Pace is the solid ground.

🌈

Yielding is the quiet default

The two dated 2025 feature-day snapshots read yielding and good-to-yielding — two data points, not a dataset, but a caution against assuming summer-evening fixtures mean fast ground in the west. Check the IHRB report on the day.

💰

The Lenebane is a floor-value Listed race

Its €45,000 pot sits exactly on the new HRI Listed minimum — honest calibre context: it draws proper black-type fillies and progressive handicappers stepping up, not Group-race refugees. Oxx’s six wins say the classic yards have always used it; price the field as Listed-floor, not Group-lite.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Repeating “nine meetings, May to September.” Both the 2025 and 2026 dated fixture lists run to ten meetings into mid-October — several sites, including the course’s own About page, haven’t caught up.
  • Quoting the Lenebane Stakes at “1m3f.” The dated 2025 racecard says 1m4f17y — the shorter figure (Wikipedia and others) is stale, and Wikipedia’s own infobox contradicts its own “12 furlongs” label.
  • Stating any 7f draw bias as settled. Three sources give three different answers at that trip (none / low / high) — the pace bias is the evidenced edge; the draw debate is genuinely open.
  • Expecting precision on the track’s own geometry. The course website gives two different circuit lengths on two pages, and sources split on oval versus rectangular — treat exact-sounding figures for this track with a raised eyebrow.

Roscommon (Flat) Racecourse FAQs

Is there a draw bias at Roscommon?
Broadly no — the course study’s percentage-of-rivals-beaten figures are “very close whatever the distance” and its own headline is “you can win from any draw here,” which matches Mick Kinane’s rider view. The one contested trip is 7f, where one specialist site sees a slight low edge and another counted high draws winning 13 of 21 big-field handicaps (small sample, self-caveated). The reliable edge is pace: front-runner Impact Values run 2.5 at 7f and 3.71 at 1m2f.
What kind of track is Roscommon on the Flat?
A sharp, quick, right-handed circuit of about a mile and a quarter that rides well — “a speed track, not a testing one” in Kinane’s words. The home straight undulates slightly and rises to the post, the run-in is about 3½ furlongs, and the second-last bend is rated the trickiest point. Precision caveat: the course’s own website gives both 1m2f and 1m1f for the circuit, and sources split between oval and rectangular.
What is the biggest Flat race at Roscommon?
The Watch Racing TV Irish EBF Lenebane Stakes — a Listed race over 1m4f17y (don’t trust the stale “1m3f” still in circulation) worth €45,000, run on Ladies Day, the first day of the July meeting. Listed from its 2006 inception and named for the townland the racecourse sits in, it belonged to John Oxx historically — six training wins — with Chris Hayes’s three rides the jockey record.
Who does well at Roscommon on the Flat?
Colin Keane and Ger Lyons dominate both long-run windows — Keane 27 wins since 2009 (profitable blind at +9.46) and 16 in 2015–20 alone; Lyons 29 wins at 20.91% and 14 at 24% in the same two windows. The recent three-year table adds Joseph O’Brien (17 from 81) and Billy Lee (21.43%).
When and where does Roscommon race?
Ten fixtures from May to mid-October, every one a Monday or Tuesday and eight of them evening cards with live music after the second-last race. The course is on Racecourse Road in Lenabane townland just outside Roscommon town — 76km from Galway, roughly 140km from Dublin, a short taxi from Roscommon rail station, with Ireland West Airport Knock 69km north. Free parking, three bars, and a proper county-festival feel on Ladies Day.


Nearby Tracks

Galway

The festival switchback, 76km southwest.

Ballinrobe

Mayo’s evening track above Lough Carra.

Sligo

The stiff-finish bowl in the north-west.

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