Category: Racecourses

The Greyville Racecourse in South Africa first held the Durban July in 1897. It has a 2,800m turf track and a 2,000m synthetic all-weather track that runs on the inside of the turf track. The polytrack has races every Friday night during the months of September through to April. The racecourse is also Durban’s oldest sports facility, and surrounds the Royal Durban Golf Club Championship course, which is on its infield.

 

The Greyville racecourse is not flat but has a peculiar gradient owing to a road that passes under the course connecting Berea to the city centre and a couple of subways that were also constructed to support the road. The racecourse is easily accessible as it is centrally located in the city.

 

Although the Durban July is the most hyped event on the race card, there are other races that take place under the floodlights: the Golden Slipper, the Golden Horseshoe, the Gold Vase and the Garden Province Stakes. This was the first racecourse to host floodlit races. The very first Sunday meet was also staged at Greyville in 1996.

Aside from the actual horseracing, Greyville has been said to be a lot like the Royal Ascot in Britain, characterized by a lot of food and fashion, popping of champagne and high street fashion that is centred more on flamboyancy than practicality. It does not end there; the Greyville Racecourse offers a whole lot more. There are conferencing and banqueting services with fourteen different venues that can host corporate functions, conferences and weddings ceremonies and receptions. There is also space for over 1200 exhibition stands in various places.

Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, King George VI and the Duke of Edinburgh are some of the dignitaries that have graced events at the Greyville Racecourse over the years.

The Del Mar racecourse is one of America’s best thoroughbred horse tracks. It is located in Del Mar city in California, roughly 32 kilometres from San Diego. The race track, being a world-class thoroughbred racing destination, has welcomed many top athletes in the industry as well as California’s partygoers during summer. It was opened in July 1937 by Bing Crosby, and is the property of the State of California. It is operated by Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The facility was built as a result of a partnership between Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper, Oliver Hardy and many others. Boasting a carrying capacity of roughly 44000 people, it has been ranked the second biggest racing venue in the US.

The most notable races that take place there include Del Mar Oaks, Crosby Stakes, Hirsch Stakes, Del Mar Debutante, Del Mar Futurity, Pacific Classic and the Eddie Read Stakes. Usually, the racing season runs from late July all through to early September, then begins again in November. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, races usually begin at 2pm, while on Fridays, they begin at 4:00 p.m. However, it remains closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The annually held Pacific Classic starts at 1:00 p.m.

In 1946, the first Crosby Stakes took place in Del Mar. Since then, the track has been the best venue for summer racing in the Western edge of America. It was renovated in the 90s, where the grandstand was pulled down and replaced. In 2000, the club hired a model called Chantal Sutherland to fly the flag of Del Mar, attracting more visitors. The 2018 summer season takes place from the 18th of July to 3rd September, with gates opening at 12 noon. The Bing Crosby season will take place from 9th November to 2nd December. Unlike some other tracks, Del Mar boasts an aura of excitement when it comes to horse riding, its sophistication and fashion. This has attracted many visitors from all over the world over the years.

Churchill Downs is a racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. The thoroughbred racetrack was officially opened in 1875. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most famous races to be held in this venue. Churchill Downs has also been home to the widely known Breeder’s Cup eight times and held the most recent race meeting in 2011. Both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks were held in the same year when the racecourse opened. During these race meetings, horseracing attracts scores of fans and racing enthusiasts. Each fan who wants to enjoy the thrill of horseracing can get to see the races as the racecourse holds a maximum capacity of 170,000 with the infield opened. The expansive racecourse is considered to be in the top five best places to hold race meetings.

Churchill Downs was named to honour John and Henry Churchill who rented the first 80 acres of land that was used to start the racecourse. The racetrack was received warmly by the locals as it was seen as a replacement  for two previous tracks that were closed in the area, namely Woodlawn and Oakland. At its opening, the racecourse was stationed in a rural location where horses would be brought by train through the Louisville and Nashville Railroad tracks, which was the easiest way to get horses to the racecourse.

In 1907, James Lee, an African-American jockey, set a record that still remains. On June 5th of that year, the jockey won all six races at Churchill Downs, a feat that has never been repeated to date. Through the years, the racecourse has prospered so much that the Kentucky Derby has developed into the foremost stakes race for thoroughbred horses three years old in North America.

Aside from horseracing, the venue also collects a lot of revenue hosting other events and entertaining guests thanks to the $121 million renovation plan
kicked off in 2001. The renovation included 79 luxury suites as well as refurbishing the historic twin spikes emblematic to the racecourse.