Category: Racecourses

Kelso racecourse is located in the market town by the same name within Roxburghshire County, Scotland. It is a National Hunt course owned by Kelso Races Ltd, with events televised on Racing UK.

 

History

Racing at Kelso was first recorded in 1734, when it set out as a site for flat racing. The race type continued until 1888, when the United Border Hunt became the first jump race to be introduced at the course. Flat racing ceased in the same period, and it has remained a jump races course to date.

In the course’s early days, races were moved to Balakelaw, but the decision proved unpopular as the new venue was far from town and also lacked grandstands. The result was a plunge in the number of racegoers, and a resultant dip in profits. The races were thus moved back to Berrymoss, and the race going trend shot up again, and has at this point grown into a culture.

The course

Kelso is considered the Scottish home of National Hunt races. It is a peculiarly shaped course, forming a trapezium shape on the circuit, which has a straight starting run hanging out like a human arm. It is a left handed course whose two tracks consist of sharp bends that give races a start-stop kind of dash, requiring high levels of skill and concentration from the jockeys.

It is widely regarded as the friendliest course in Britain, and has scooped the Best Small Racecourse award of the Racegoers Club numerous times.

Road access is the easiest way to get to Kelso, seeing as the closes railway station is Berwick, 22 miles away.

Races

It hosts thirteen fixtures in a season, between January and May. January, April and the final month of May carry the bulk of racing fixtures.

Morebattle Hurdle, Premier Kelso Hurdle and the King’s Own Challenge Cup are the most notable races run at Kelso. Trainers use races at in the first two months of the year to prepare for the Aintree National Hunt.

The course is located in Brampton, close to the market town of Huntingdon in the Cambridgeshire county of England. It is a jump-races-only track owned by the Jockey Club Racecourses. Events at the course are televised on Racing UK.

History

The course has been host to jump events since 1886, when the first race was held in Easter. There were races scattered around Cambridgeshire at the time, but eventually Huntingdon took over as the main course in the area.

Course

The racetrack is a free-draining one-mile three-furlong surface, with a predominantly flat gradient. These factors make it a stable ground, allowing horses to exploit speed to the maximum. Jockeys and owners often refer to Huntingdon as The Home of Speed.

The course sits on the Brampton Racecourse Site of Special Scientific Interest, (SSSI) a 21.1 ha land area. The SSSI classification means it is a protected area, limiting the amount of modification that can be done on it. This has in no way curtailed the magnificence of the venue. The management has made good use of approved changes to set up a grandstand with private viewing suites, bars and betting areas. Service is great, reason the Huntingdon has recently been voted Best Small Racecourse in the region of East Anglia and South Midlands.

Part of service is a free car service present on race days to ferry racegoers between the train station and the racecourse. Also, young adults and senior citizens can receive discounted admission upon application.

Races

17 race meetings are held at the Huntingdon in a calendar year. The races are spread across nine months in the year, with the Peterborough Chase regarded as the most popular. The chase did move to other tracks in 2010 and 2012, as the frozen Huntingdon track proved unusable in those years.

Best Mate is probably the most famous horse to have run at the course, if you consider him greater than the Desert Orchid. Other big names like Edredon Bleu and One Man are also on its stats.

Hexham racecourse is located in the market town by the same name in Northumberland County, North East England. It is the only surviving recourse in the area, and has events screened on At The Races.

History

Racing at Hexham has been happening since the 1720s. It has however been threatened by closure many times, either from financial difficulties or competition from more attractive courses. The most famous race hosted here is the Heart of All England steeplechase, which has been running since 1907.

Charles William Chipchase Henderson has a special place in the history of the course. He acquired the property at a time when racing had virtually died in 1880, putting up racing and viewing facilities, some of which exist to this day.

Racing at Hexham was stopped during the Second World War, during which it was used as an ammunition site. Racing returned in 1946, and has been continuing since. A lot of upgrades were introduced in the 1990s, part of which included the construction of a lake within the premises.

The course

The racing circuit extends over a length of one and a half miles. It is generally flat, with an uphill climb close to the finish, which gives way to a perfectly flat distance in the run in which extends about 150 yards. The track is oval in shape, with another straight along the center which gives it three long stretches. It is used for national hunt races. Racing is left handed, with steep deeps that require racehorses to put every bit of stamina to use.

Acces by road is made easy by the clear signposting. The closest railway station is Hexham, 1.7 miles from the course. Air access is through the Newcastle airport 17 miles away or helicopter landing on the course which requires prior arrangements.

Races

The Heart of All England Hunter chase is Hexham’s premiere race. The Northumberland Day also attracts a good number of viewers. Racing takes place between February and December.