Author: GC

Doncaster Racecourse lies within the market town of Doncaster in the county of South Yorkshire, North England. It is owned by the Arena Leisure Plc, and is commonly referred to as the Town Moor Course. It is a dual-race type left handed racing course.

History

Doncaster has a long and rich horse racing history, with regular race meetings recorded as far back as the 15th Century. The popularity of the races kept growing such that by 1600 it had become a ruffian attraction center. There were plans to end racing due to the infiltration of the violent characters, but the events proved to have rooted themselves too deep, and a racecourse was marked out in 1614 to solve the crisis.

Some of the oldest races that run to date- the St. Leger Stakes and the Doncaster Cup- began at this track. The Doncaster cup is the oldest regulated horse race of all races that are still existent worldwide, while the St. Leger Stakes is the world’s oldest classic.

The course

Owners describe the course as pear-shaped. It is a largely flat area, which is around 1 mile and 7 furlongs in distance. It is modelled for both flat and National Hunt competition. The gentle gradient of the track makes it a fair track for all categories of all categories, be it budding two-year-olds or aging five-year-olds.

It is an easily accessible area by road or rail, making it a popular destination among racegoers.

Races

Two of Britain’s 31 Grade 1 races- The St. Leger Stakes and The Racing Post Trophy- are run at The Doncaster in September and October. Jump races at each end of a calendar year sandwich the flat competitions.

Jump races held here include the Great Yorkshire Chase and the Summit Juvenile Hurdle. Flat competitions include the Cammidge Trophy, Park Hill Stakes and the highly regarded Sceptre Stakes as well.

Chester is the oldest racecourse in England that is still in use. It is also known as the Roodee. Near the centre of the field lies a raised mound that is decorated with a small cross called a ‘rood’, which explains the name. Chester racecourse lies on the banks of River Dee.

Horse racing

The Chester Racecourse field was used for the Goteddsday, which was a famous and bloody event until its abolishment and replacement with horse racing in 1533. With the permission of Mayor Henry Gee, the first race took place in 1539. The name of the Mayor led to ‘gee-gee’ being used to refer to horses. After horse racing began, the races followed the Goteddsday routine of Shrove Tuesdays .The routine went on until the races dates were moved to St George’s day early 17th century. In 1824, the May festival, which still takes place, premiered in the Tradesmen’s Cup. That’s when the current Chester Cup was inaugurated. Any event at Chester Racecourse is a must-attend for serious connoisseurs due to its list of longest running race events in the UK.

 

Important races at Chester Racecourse

Chester racecourse has staged some of the brilliant tracks that are impossible to forget like;

– The Chesire Oaks which has been an open event since 1950 for fillies running a 1 mile, 3 furlongs, and 79 yards distance. This game acts as a warm up for the Epsom Oaks race.

– The Chester Cup, which takes place during the May festival and is open for thoroughbreds of four years and above running a distance of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 147 yards.

– The Huxley Stakes that is a Group 3 with a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 75 yards open for thoroughbred horses of four years and above

– The Chester Vase which is open for three-year-old colts and geldings.

– The Dee Stakes named in honor of River Dee which is a Group 3 race open for three-year-old colts and geldings.

Chepstow is one of Wales’ three horseracing course, located in the south eastern county of Monmouthshire, close to the border with England. It is a dual-race type course owned by the Arena Racing Company.

History

 

There has been racing in the Chepstow area since around 1892, but this particular course was first used in 196. It was set up by a group of businessmen, but then suffered a financial crisis during its first decade due to unforeseen costs that arose. Initially, it had a flat ace track only, before jumping was introduced in 1927.

One standout feature since its inception was the attractive purse it carried, which earned the course a reputation in Wales as the ‘Welsh Goodwood.’

 

The course

Chepstow has a track for flat and National Hunt racing. The course is left handed, gently undulating with a one-kilometer straight at the finish. This makes it an ideal course for horses and jockeys who count acceleration as one of their strengths. The course has also been praised for its gentle turnings, which attract jockeys due to their safety.

In jumping races, the course has eleven fences that horses go over, upping the challenge of balancing acceleration and power.

The course is also available for conferences, concerts and other personal events.

 

Races

Flat races are run in the summer and jump races in winter. In total, Chepstow hosts 32 racing fixtures in a calendar year. Most popular among these races is The Welsh Grand National, slotted right after Christmas. The 27th December date makes it a perfect family event, and it records one of the highest viewer turnout in most years.

The Totepool Jumps Festival, Silver Trophy Handicap, Persian War Novices’and Finale Juvenile Hurdles are other popular races run at the course. Photography and filming of races is done only officially, but these images are available for sale in the course’s website.