Hereford Racecourse lies within the so named town, within the English county of Herefordshire. It is owned by the Herefordshire Council, and has its races televised on At The races.
History
The course was opened in in 1771. It was initially a flat-type track at the time, with the first jump race run in 1840. In 1883, it became a full time jump race course, and no further flat races were run at the course.
The track has been consistent in hosting events since its inception, except for the period of World War II when it took a break until 1946.
There have been several stand out events in the course’s history, most notable in 1975 when the races attracted so many racers that the races had to be split. 14 races were run on that day. In 2007, the first harness race was held at the course.
The course
The running circuit extends for around a mile and a half, right handed. It is generally flat, with a shape that can be described as a rough square. It is largely flat, with challenging sharp turns.
The course switched from thoroughbred to Arabian racing in 2012, after the Arena Racing Company failed to secure a land lease renewal from the Herefordshire Council.
Access to the course is by road, rail or air. The course is located five minutes’ from the Hereford train station, from where a taxi cab service is available.
Races
There are fifteen race days on Hereford’s yearly calendar. 11 National Hunt races between January and March and again between October and Dcember (For 2017) Other race types include point to point runs, mainly for young horses that are yet to get into the big races. The North Herefordshire Hunt Point to Point is staged in May.
Martin Pipe as trainer and Tony Mc Coy as jockey would definitely have a soft spot for Hereford, having enjoyed immense success here.