RACECOURSE CATEGORY PAGES - JANUARY 2019 Bangor on Dee Racecourse Located in delightful Welsh countryside near Wrexham, Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse is a left-handed National Hunt course. Racing has taken place there since 1859, except during both world wars. Many leading trainers such as Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson send their younger thoroughbreads to Bangor as an education for bigger, more esteemed race meetings. Bath Racecourse Racing was first recorded at Bath in 1728 and there are now twenty-two meets per year, including two notable races — the Lansdown Fillies’ Stakes, which takes place in April, and the Beckford Stakes, held each October. The left-handed course is one mile, four furlongs and 25 yards long, with a half-mile run-in. Beverley Racecourse Annual race meetings first took place at Beverley Racecourse, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, in the mid 18th century. There are currently 19 meetings per year, with headline races including the Hilary Needler Trophy in May and the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes in August. Both draw expectant crowds to the historic right-handed, one mile three furlong flat course. Brighton Racecourse The three-day Festival in August is the seasonal highlight at Brighton Racecourse, with the Brighton Mile Challenge Trophy Handicap attracting punters and keeping the bookies busy. There are currently 18 race meetings per year at the left-handed circuit which, like Epsom Downs, is unusual as it doesn’t form a full circuit. Carlisle Racecourse Carlisle Racecourse’s biggest race, The Carlisle Bell, was first contested in 1599. Taking place each June over seven furlongs and 173 yards, the name ‘Bell’ refers to bells awarded to race winners under the reign of Elizabeth I. Other notable races include Eternal Stakes in June, the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase in November, and Houghton Mares' Chase in December. Cartmel Racecourse Cumbria’s Cartmel Racecourse often draws crowds of around 20,000 people; the third-highest average racecourse attendance in Britain behind Aintree and Cheltenham. Nine race meetings are held each year between the end of May and August Bank Holiday, such as the two-day July meeting where the lucrative Cumbria Crystal Hurdle Race runs. Catterick Racecourse . The first recorded race meeting at Catterick took place in 1783. The feature race at the left-handed mile-long circuit is currently the North Yorkshire Grand National, which takes place each January. The main grandstand, built in 1906, still stands, while there have been improvements to help attract renowned trainers and the general public. Chelmsford City Racecourse Opened in 2008, Chelmsford City Racecourse is the first entirely new course to open in Britain since Taunton in 1927. The racecourse went into administration in 2009 and reopened in 2015. Currently, the highest graded race held at the circuit is the Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes, which commemorates a race held at the old Chelmsford Racecourse in the 18th and 19th centuries. Chepstow Racecourse Home to the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle held in October, and the Welsh Grand National held in December, Chepstow Racecourse, located close to the border with England, is Wales’ premier flat and National Hunt course. A complete circuit is just under two miles, with a final five furlong straight, while there is also a mile-long straight course. Epsom Downs Racecourse Epsom Downs Racecourse, where racing was first recorded in the mid 17th century, has a long association with the British Royal Family, with the Queen attending each June for the Derby. The Meeting has three Group 1 races — The Oaks, The Coronation Cup and the Derby itself — with the latter being the UK’s premier race for three-year-old fillies and colts. Exeter Racecourse Exeter Racecourse, dating back to the mid 17th century, is one of the many racecourses created due to Charles II’s love of horse racing. A complete lap of the . course includes 11 fences, including two open ditches and a water jump. The most notable race, the Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup, takes place each November, over two miles one furlong and 110 yards. Fakenham Racecourse Since 2000, Charles, Prince of Wales has been a patron of Fakenham Racecourse in ​ ​ Norfolk, with the course located a few miles from the Queen’s private home at Sandringham. Dedicated to National Hunt racing, the mile-long circuit is square shaped with tight left-handed turns suited to nimble, well-balanced horses. Ffos Las Racecourse The Welsh Champion Hurdle is the standout event at Ffos Las Racecourse in Carmarthenshire. Ran at Chepstow since 1969, the Grade 2 race moved to Ffos Las in 2010, but first ran in 2011 due to inclement weather. The left-handed course is a mile and a half long with an offshoot for five or six furlong races over a straight course. Fontwell Park Racecourse Opened in 1924, Fontwell Park Racecourse in West Sussex is the home of the National Sprint Hurdle and Southern National, running in February and November respectively. The National Hunt course is a set out in a figure of eight, and where Princess Elizabeth, before becoming our current Queen, had her first winner with Monaveen in the 1949 Chichester Handicap Chase. Goodwood Racecourse Best known for the annual ‘Glorious Goodwood’ festival taking place in late July and early August, Goodwood Racecourse is home to three annual Group 1 races — the Sussex Stakes, Goodwood Cup and Nassau Stakes. Set in the wonderful Sussex Downs, it is perhaps the social highlight of the UK flat racing season. Great Yarmouth Racecourse Racing was first recorded at Great Yarmouth Racecourse in 1715, where The John Musker Fillies Stakes is currently the most valuable race. Taking place each September since 1993 over one mile two furlongs and 23 yards, many revered horses have ridden it and gone onto much greater things, including Breeder’s Cup glory in the United States. Hamilton Park Racecourse First hosting racing in 1782, Hamilton Park is a true gem on the Scottish racing map. The Glasgow Stakes, taking place each July, has listed status and is the race to look out for. Set on on the banks of the River Clyde, the course is the home of Scottish Racing. Haydock Park Racecourse The current Haydock Racecourse opened in 1899, although racing has taken place in the area since at least the 1830s. The left-handed course is one mile five furlongs long with space for both flat and National Hunt racing. Standout races include the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup each September and the Betfair Chase held in ​ ​ November. Hereford Racecourse Hereford Racecourse, which has hosted racing since the mid 18th century, is squared shaped and around a mile and a half long. Historically, a lack of available water supply has led to problems, including race meets being cancelled or moved to nearby Worcester due to hard ground. However, construction of a reservoir in the ​ ​ ​ ​ centre of the track commenced in August 2018, which should address the issue. Hexham Racecourse Opened circa 1740, Hexham Racecourse in Northumberland is a National Hunt course near Newcastle Upon Tyne and Sunderland, located just north of the North . Pennines Area of Natural Beauty. Taking place each May, the Heart of All England ​ Hunters’ Chase, ran over three miles one furlong, is the course’s principal race. ​ Huntingdon Racecourse Standout races at Cambridgeshire’s Huntingdon Racecourse include the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle in February and the Peterborough Chase held each December. A right-handed National Hunt course set in quintessential English countryside, the relatively tight oval-shaped track has two open ditches, meaning only the strongest jumpers tend to prevail. Jockey Club Established in 1750, the Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for organising some of the racing calendar’s biggest races, such as the Grand National and Cheltenham Festival. It also owns 15 of the UK’s most well-known courses, including Aintree, Epsom Downs, Cheltenham and Kempton Park. Kelso Racecourse Horse racing was first recorded at Kelso in 1734, with the course hosting flat racing until 1888 before becoming used exclusively for National Hunt meets. A tight left-handed course suited to agile horses, the three furlong, uphill run-in means stamina is also key as runners approach the finish. The Morebattle Hurdle in February and Premier Kelso Hurdle in March are yearly highlights, with both races covering two miles four furlongs. Kempton Park Racecourse Punters at Kempton Park always anticipate the traditional Boxing Day meeting with its three Grade 1 races — the King George VI Chase, the Kauto Star Novices' Chase and Christmas Hurdle. Kempton has a turf track for National Hunt racing and an . all-weather synthetic polytrack with floodlights for racing in all weather conditions and light levels. Leicester Racecourse Opened in 1883, Leicester Racecourse is a two-mile circuit that hosts both National Hunt and flat meets. The tough uphill finish is made harder in soft or heavy going, with runners often winning from behind. The Listed King Richard III Stakes, held in April, was formerly known as the Leicestershire Stakes and renamed in 2013 after the remains of King Richard III were found near Leicester. Lingfield Park Racecourse With its outer National Hunt course and inner all-weather flat course, Surrey’s Lingfield Park is able to host over 100 race meetings per year. Flat races of upto a mile run on the straight course, while longer races using the left-handed circuit join at four furlongs to the finish. May is a busy month with two prestigious flat races, the Lingfield Oak Trial and Lingfield Derby Trial, testing three-year-olds on an undulating course likened to Epsom Downs.