Towcester

[reet hard]

Cheltenham often gets referred to as the stiffest track in the country but in truth it doesn't even come close.

Towester is much stiffer and one the layers like. Horses that look to be cantering 3 out can end up tailed off.


Kelso has a very stiff uphill finish much stiffer then Cheltenham and so does Carlisle.

The undulations and the changes in speed can exhaust horses and probably that's what make the Cheltenham Hill look stiffer.

Chepstow is another course with undulations and on soft/heavy ground horses are forever finishing legless there

Other course like Exeter Ascot Hexam Plumpton Sandown don't take many prisoners if they are lacking in stamina

Overall I think Towester is regarded as the stiffest track in the country.

Cheltenham's stiff inasmuch as the hill features twice in 2m races, and 3 times over 3m. Towcester's similar, Kelso isn't, as most of the rise is after the finish.
Fwiw, I've always considered the RyanAir distance less of a test (relatively) than the QMCC, as much of the extra half-mile of the former is downhill, (and I'm bored sh*tless ).

 

[Grasshopper]

https://www.freemaptools.com/elevation-finder.htm

kELSO
height at finish line = 180
height at final fence = 175
height at 2nd last = 162
height at 3rd last = 169

climb from 2nd last = 18ft

CHELTENHAM
height at finish line = 221
height at final fence = 198
height at 2nd last = 184
height at 3rd last = 180

climb from 2nd last = 37ft

Interesting stuff, EC1. Don't suppose you know the relative distances of the 2nd last from the finish-line at both tracks, do you?

 

[EC1]

Interesting stuff, EC1. Don't suppose you know the relative distances of the 2nd last from the finish-line at both tracks, do you?

just checked a video of thursday at Kelso..google maps has an extra fence in there ..so i've measured from the true 2nd last which is the fence they dolled off..which is just as before you turn in. The distance from finish to 2 out is 2.13f..i've redone the height check as in original post i had the 2nd last as the third last due to that extra fence....i assume they altered the layout there if i remember correctly? ..was it last year?

anyway...The height at 2 out at Kelso is 169 ft...and 180/181 ft at finish line...so the climb from 2 out is 11/12 feet

Cheltenham 2 out is 1.87f..and a climb climb of 37 feet to line

The very lowest point at Kelso is on the far side..thats 160 feet..and the very highest point is after the finish line at 183 feet..so the total climb at Kelso from way over on far side is 23 feet..whereas Cheltenham climbs more than that just from 2nd last.

Its near on impossible to judge these inclines from ground level..you are completely guessing...now we have proper tools to do the job it blows a fair few myths out of the water..i was surprised when i did a fair bit of measuring last year

That elevation finder is spot on as well..being the anorak i am i checked it for accuracy ...i live on an incline and the wall in front of my house shows a 2 course of brick drop across the width of my house..the measure off that tool shows that to nearest inch or so. So its very accurate.