Author: GC

Lingfield Park is located in Lingfield town of Tandridge district in Surrey County, South East England. It is a dual-race type arena owned by the Arena racing Company, mostly hosting races for three and four-year-old horses in intense competitions .

History

It’s racing story dates back to 1890, when it was officially opened by the Prince of Wales. Unlike most other courses that were flat type first, Lingfield was initially a jump type track until flat racing was introduced in 1894.

There was a flooding problem at the course since the end of World II, up until 1982 when Ladbrokes sold the estate and the new owners erected flood defences.

The course

The course has two racing tracks; the flat and the National Hunt. The tracks are synthetic/polytrack, allowing racing to continue in all weather. This is unlike most other courses in the UK which carpet their tracks with regular turf.

Several upgrades have been done at the course over the past two decades, starting with the replacement of the Equitrack surface with polytrack in 2001. Then came with the £5.5 in 2004. The Marriot Hotel at the course is also considered a part upgrade, as it has served to increase the number of patrons visiting for events .

Races

Most aces at Lingfield are either Group 3 or Listed. The all-weather racing feature makes Lingfield a popular winter racing destination. The Winter Derby in February is in many aspects the course’s main race. It is preceded by the Winter Derby Trials earlier within the same month.

Other flat trial races include the International, Linfield Oaks and Lingfield Derby. The Spring Cup, Quebec Stakes, Churchill Stakes, Golden Rose Stakes and The River Eden Fillies Stakes are also popular races at the Lingfield site.

Lingfield Park was featured in the movie Rainbow Jacket, a film centred on a corrupt racing jockey, which premiered in London in 1954.

 

Leicester Racecourse is a dual-race type track located in the small town of Oadby in Leicestershire County, East Midlands, England. It is owned by the Leicester Racecourse Company and has races televised on At The races.

History

The current course came into use in 1883, when it took over the races that were previously held for a century where the present day Victoria Park lies. In the 19th Century, Leicester hosted some of the most priced races in the British Classics category, among them the Portland Stakes and the acclaimed Prince of Wales Stakes.

The course

The track is oval shaped with an extending straight at the start. Its length is close to two miles. It is used both for flat and National Hunt competition, both right-handed. The flat is run on the straight when they are under a mile, and over the 1-mile 5-furlonds oval when they are longer.

The jump-races track is 1-mile six-furlongs in distance. It has ten obstacles in its course- seven fences, two open ditches and a water jump. The finishing kick is usually called upon in the last three furlongs where the gentle track empties out as an uphill. The open ditch previously fourth last in the line of obstacles was moved to the homestretch ahead of the 2009 season, upping the challenge further.

Besides racing, the course offers exquisite facilities for events like meetings and conferences. The Club Room is especially regarded a high quality facility. Access to Leicester is mostly by road or rail. A bus service operates between the course and Leicester train station during race days.

Races

The king Richard III Stakes run in April is the course’s headline race. The Bank Holidays in may are also a major attraction, albeit more as a family fun day than a viewing experience.

Famous horses

The course has seen some big names in its time, including legendary jumper Silver Buick, Zilzal, Corbiere, Time Charter and Seagram.

This course is located within the London suburb of Sunbury, within Surrey County, England. It is a dual-race type track owned by the Jockey Club Racecourses, with racing events televised on Racing UK.

History

The course has been operational since 1878, when businessman S. H. Hyde opened its doors following a six-year development. It underwent a brief closure for refurbishment in 2005, and was re-opened he following year with a new synthetic all-weather track in place.

In 1889, an announcement that the Prince of Wales would visit Kempton led to the construction of a Royal Box within three weeks.

Much damage was done to sections of the course by a fire in 1932, but racing continued as repairs were done. The World Wars led to closures, as Kempton was used as a depot for transiting military weapons in the first and as accommodation place for prisoners of war during the second.

The course

The course sits on 210 acres of flat grassland, dotted by trees all around and two lakes within its area. It is relatively gentle in gradient, and has tracks for both flat and National Hunt racing. The flat track is synthetic since the 2006, when use of the famous Jubilee Track was discontinued.

Races

The King George VI Chase held on Boxing Day is the track’s most famous event. The Grade 1 National Hunt race attracts viewers such that the Grandstand is almost filled to capacity. The Bet Bright Chase, Desert Orchid Chase and the Sirenia Stakes are other notable events on the course.

Closure

Jockey Club Racecourses announced earlier in 2017 that they plan to close the racecourse to pave way for development of the land into around 3,000 homes. The plan is to be carried out in partnership with Redrow Homes, in what the owners say is a bid to raise money to develop horse racing at other courses they manage. If the plan goes through, Kempton will not be used for racing beyond 2021.