Huntingdon

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.

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