Turf racing, while not the main focus at American Thoroughbred tracks, is the marquee event at many Irish racecourses. Neither of the courses we visited (The Curragh and Leopardstown) even offered a dirt oval! My Irish heritage probably shows when I say I prefer turf racing as well. The structure of turf horses, with their solid build, heavy bone, and big strides, appeals to my own personal equine...
Were I to picture my own personal heaven, it would be much like The Curragh. The 5,000 acres are said to be the area over which Saint Brigid spread her cloak when she requested land from the King of Leinster (he said she was welcome to whatever her mantle covered). The Curragh's history is closely tied to horses--the name itself means "racecourse" or "running place" in ancient...
