Detailed Instructions: Generate the answer for a given question. The question requires common knowledge of English. Make sure that the answer is in detail, long, consistent with the context, and requires general knowledge of English. To be less repetitive, please vary your language for each question. Give a proper explanation to answer, and if necessary, provide the definition of various terms. And conclude your answer if it's long. If you have used other resources (e.g., Merriam Webster's.) to answer the question, include citations in your answer. You don't need to paraphrase the context of your resources, but make sure that your answer is consistent and complete.
Problem:I've found this phrase here on a recent BBC report: '...the mare in the video died after suffering a cardiac arrest on a gallops in April 2016.' The same article has: 'A video on social media shows James mount the animal at a gallops while some present can be heard laughing.' (emphasis mine) It's a bit of a sad story, but I want to know what 'a gallops' is. Google Ngrams has some indication that it might be a phrase rather than just a typo, and also that it might be rising in popularity. TheFreeDictionary redirects me to gallop. I know what 'a gallop' is. It's the plural noun ('a gallops') that I have never heard used before. It feels like some kind of horse racing meet. Any formal (or informal) definition that fits this word? Is it short for something?.
Solution:
A gallops (or sometimes gallop) is a track or ground specially designed for training or exercising horses - see definition 1.3 here. They usually have a special surface, and might consist of a straight or circular track, often with a fence or rails. Note that this is a British English phrase, equivalent to the American English phrase 'training track'.