Gowran Park is a horse race course in County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. It is located in the Annerly Estate near the village of Gowran

Gowran

Gowran is a village and former town in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Gowran Park race course is located nearby. Gowran is located on the N9 national primary road where it is crossed by the R702 regional road.-History:...

.The first meeting was held in 1914. and the first ever racecourse commentary in Ireland took place here in 1952.

Gowran Park hosts 16 race days throughout the year with both National Hunt and Flat

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 meetings.

The Thyestes Chase

The Thyestes Chase

Thyestes Chase

The Thyestes Chase is a National Hunt race in Ireland. It is run over at Gowran Park in January, over a distance of 3 miles and during the race there are 16 fences to be jumped...

 starts the year in January with a steeplechase

Steeplechase

Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...

, the Thyestes

Thyestes

In Greek mythology, Thyestes was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, King of Olympia, and father of Pelopia and Aegisthus. Thyestes and his twin brother, Atreus, were exiled by their father for having murdered their half-brother, Chrysippus, in their desire for the throne of Olympia...

, which has been won by three time Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham Gold Cup

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...

 Winner Arkle

Arkle

Arkle was a famous Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by Archive out of Bright Cherry, his grandsire was the unbeaten flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco. Arkle was bred at Ballymacoll Stud, County Meath by Mrs. Mary Alison Baker of Malahow House, near Naul, County Dublin...

 (1964) and Aintree Grand National winners Hedgehunter

Hedgehunter

Hedgehunter is an Irish race horse, who won the 2005 Grand National steeplechase, ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Willie Mullins. He had fallen at the final fence the previous year when well placed. He then finished second in 2006 to Numbersixvalverde...

 (2005)

2005 Grand National

The 2005 Grand National was the 158th official annual running of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase which took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 9 April 2005 and attracted the maximum permitted field of forty competitors for total prize money of £700,000 including £406,000 to...

 and Numbersixvalverde

Numbersixvalverde

Numbersixvalverde is an Irish race horse who won both the 2005 Irish Grand National and 2006 Aintree Grand National steeplechase, beating Hedgehunter by six lengths with Niall 'Slippers' Madden in the saddle....

 (2006). Thyestes, named after a figure from Greek mythology, was by The Tetrarch

The Tetrarch

The Tetrarch was an undefeated Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, who was voted Britain's Two-Year-Old of the 20th Century.-Breeding:...

 (out of Tetratema) and was bred by Major Victor McCalmont of Mount Juliet and trained by Atty Persse at Stockbridge, Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...

. Thyestes was rated 3rd best two year old of 1930 as a result of his winning his only two races. The National Breeders Produce Stakes over 5 furlongs at Sandown Park

Sandown Park

Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racing during afternoons, evenings and on weekends, and also hosts many non racing events such as trade...

 and the Rous Memorial Stakes over 6 furlongs at Goodwood

Goodwood Racecourse

Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...

. Thyestes never ran again due to injury and was retired to stud in Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

.
The Thyestes trophy was presented to Kilkenny Show by Major Dermot McCalmont for a 5 year old likely to make a good hunter. The trophy was won by a horse owned by Mr John McEnery of Rossenarra Stud. Kells

Kells, County Kilkenny

Kells is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is about 15 km south of Kilkenny. It is situated on high ground to the south of the Kings River.Kells Priory though in ruins, is one of the best preserved in Ireland....

. County Kilkenny and ridden by his son Martin. The McEnery family then presented it to Gowran Park for the first running of the Thyestes in 1954.