The Great Yarmouth Racecourse, within the Norfolk County coastal town by the same name, is a flat racing track owned by Arena Racing. It is a track with unique forms that make it ideal to spot and develop particular strength in racing horses.
The Course
Great Yarmouth is left handed, forming out as a narrow oblong, with two long-stretch straight sections that allow horses to accelerate to top speeds. This helps in setting the competitors apart within the narrow track, and also gives a double chance for horses short-changed within the race to make up with an unhindered straight run.
The Premier and Grandstand & Paddock enclosures offer great entry points for patrons, as they give easy access to viewing areas and also public areas like bars, food courts, children play areas and the parade ring. Children accompanied by an adult gain free entrance. These entrances go directly from the free parking area, making it easy to roll in and out even with bulky items.
History
Great Yarmouth has been in the horseracing circles for a little over three centuries, since the Yarmouth Coorporation first leased the area to a group of horseracing innkeepers in 1715. The course remained a public area for many years, until 2001 when Northern Racing acquired majority ownership, later merging with Arena Racing in 2012.
Races
There is no major race that calls this coastal course home, but events do come by regularly. Most notable is the mile-and-a-quarter long John Musker Fillies’ Stakes that happens in September. The races are marked by a lot of non-race social activity, which the course of operators have inducted to boost its popularity. Dubai Millenium, who debuted here in 1998, is arguably the greatest horse to have raced here in recent times.
There are wedding events here often. Flash photography and recordings of either personal or commercial use are not allowed in the racing areas.