Category: Racecourses

York is a major racecourse in the UK, both in terms of races held there amount of money earned there. It is ranked third in Britain for earnings.

 

Located in York City of the no-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, the flat race type course has hosted a good number of high-profile racing events. It has also won an impressive number of accolades, among them the Flat Racecourse of the year and the Times Newspaper survey of Racecourses in Britain.

History

York city had horse activity as long as 2000 years ago, during the times of Emperor Severus. However, the track itself has records starting five centuries ago in 1530. It thus holds a lot of racing legend, notably that or the race on a frozen River Ouse in 1607. An upgrade was made to the stands in 1890, but the major development plan was formulated in 1962. This led to the construction of major grandstands, which were developed without hurry and opened between 1965 and 2003.

The Course

York specializes in flat races, allowing racehorses to bud or revive their careers over long straight stretches and tricky left and right turns. It has 180 stables that have seen scores of horses come and go.

 

The excellently developed viewing grandstands make viewing an exciting experience, and are probably part reason for the course which welcomes an estimated 350, 000 people annually. Pope John Paul II was once a visitor here, where in 1982 he conducted an open air mass. It is dotted with flowers which dot the scene and make the scene full off life especially in the summer.

Races

The Dante Stakes, International Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes and the Ebor Handicap are the major events held here. These races offer quite high winnings, and thus attract some of the best racehorses from the UK and beyond.

Famous horses who have graced the track include The Flying Dutchman, Sea of The Stars, Brigadier Gerard and Franke.

Known by Worcester city residents as Pitchcroft, Worcester Racecourse is an obvious go-to place when looking for scintillating summer horseracing action in Worcestershire, UK. The sprawling racecourse that sits on nearly 100 acres of land at the banks of River Severn offers an inviting scenery and plays host to remarkable jump racing every season. Although the Pitchcroft maintains centuries-old British traditions of National Hunt races, here you’ll also find cutting-edge and well-maintained racing facilities. Worcester Racecourse is the perfect place to find old-school horseracing action coupled with any and all mod-cons thinkable.

Worcester Racecourse History

Horseracing has been taking place at Pitchcroft since at least the early 1700s, with the hosting of flat races at River Severn banks. With the rapid growth of the sport, by mid-18th century, the present Worcester Racecourse held the first yearly flat horseracing fixture. Flat racing dominated the Worcester Racecourse for the next 200 years until 1966 when it was discontinued. Since then, the Pitchcroft has been used as the centre stage of National Hunt races in Worcestershire. Numerous transformations have happened at the racecourse over the years including 1880’s new course layout that resembles figure 8. A number of notable races took place at Worcester Racecourse in the 19th century like the Gold Cup and the Worcester Stakes.

Worcester Racecourse Historic Races

There are several themed racing events held at Pitchcroft that are usually tailored for entire family’s excitement. September starts with the Family Fun Day that includes ample activities for kids. The Caribbean Nights meetings is more focused on entertaining adults and also comprises of enjoying sumptuous cocktails as well as live music.

Worcester Racecourse Racetrack

The racetrack has an oval shape and has a length of about 13 furlongs. The racecourse has had more than a fair share of troubles as it lacks winter racing due to flooding. This necessitated the introduction of summer racing in the 1990s. However, racing slotted for the summer of 2007 was put off due to summer flooding that damaged the racecourse.

Turffontein Racecourse is one of the leading horse racing racetracks in South  Africa. The racecourse is considered one of the racetracks that test stamina as horses contend with the climb towards the end. Turffontein was opened in 1887 and has amassed a wealth of history as one of the favorite racetracks in the country. It is located in Turffontein, Gauteng. The racecourse is the  responsibility of Johannesburg Turf Club.

The facility at Turffontein has both the inner and outer tracks. Turffontein Racecourse is known for two main race days; Group One Derby and the Summer Cup, which comes in November.

Horseracing has a large following in South Africa and you can count on the right ambience; lots of families, good catering and expert horse racing. A race day may be more fun if you happen to visit Turffontein with a festival running concurrently. At such times, the venue fills to the brim. The adults can enjoy some harmless wagering as they watch their favourite horse jostle it out on the last climb. This is one of the racetracks where races contested from the bend get very exciting.

The grandstand is elevated and strategically positioned to give the fans an unadulterated view of the races. It also affords you the best skyline view of the Johannesburg sky, one you cannot find elsewhere.

The racetrack has undergone many changes over the years, with the most recent refurbishments being moving of the parade ring closer to the racetrack so that fans can see the jockeys upclose as they get ready for the start of the race. Floodlights have also been installed to make it possible to have nighttime racing. When the Summer Cup starts, night racing makes events even more exciting. Race-goers enjoy some live music coupled with snacks or formal meals. The venue also has a kiddie area where children can enjoy themselves when there is daytime racing. Conferencing facilities are also available as well as grounds for concerts and festivals.