Redcar is a flat type course located in Trees Valley within the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by the Redcar Racing Company and is listed for screening by Racing UK.
History
The course was opened in the first half of the 1870s. A permanent course was laid three years later, and there have been no major closures since then. That included a new grandstand, which replaced a temporary one that had been put up –and was charged by- a Mr. Adamson.
Part of the land was sold in 1981 in order to raise funds for another upgrade under the chairmanship and management of Lord Zetland.
A 2006 upgrade saw the course scoop the Neil Wyatt Groundstaff award, a feat that has seen it grow the number of visiting racegoers in the past decade.
Course
The course is oval shaped, flat from start to finish. It stretches for a distance of 1-mile 4-furlongs, with banked tight bends which call for a sudden deceleration during races. This is made up for by the 1-mile straight stretch; the only ‘straight and flat complete mile’ in the UK.
Prior to the 2017 season, the course received a £200,000 facelift, expected to improve both viewer and racer experience.
Access is easy by rail or road, given the clear signposting from the A1 and the short distance –five-minutes’ walk- from the closest train station. Admission is free for racegoers aged 17 and under, and the prices are varied for age categories from 17 years upward. Redcar say they don’thave a dress code, but ‘encourage’ smart casual and do not admit people in sports clothing or ‘untidy’ dressing.
Races
There are between 17 and 20 meetings in a calendar year, running between early April and mid-October. The Two-Year-Old Trophy, Guisborough Stakes and the Zetland Gold Cup are the headline races at the Redcar.
Under a mile races often descend on Redcar in order to exploit the ‘straight mile.’