Jamie Clark was Sports Editor of Coral bookmakers between 2014 and 2017 during their merger with Labrokes and a key period for the British betting industry. Working as a bookie’s runner on the point to point circuit in the Midlands and at Market Rasen Racecourse where his late godfather had a trackside pitch growing up, he has had ties to horse racing all of his life. A regular visitor to Cheltenham during the National Hunt season and York over the summer, he has been involved in Horsebetting.com since its inception. Jamie now brings you his take on major news stories from the racing world and those all-important betting tips.
The popular racecourses UK punters visit are well worth knowing about. Their appeal stems from the quality and quantity of the sport on offer. Of the many race courses across the UK, some have much bigger profiles than others.
Each of these horse race tracks has its own history, unique characteristics and vibe. Some only host flat races, others have a combination of jumps and flat, but then there are those few unique venues that dedicate themselves entirely to hardcore National Hunt action!
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The vast majority of horse race tracks in the UK and Ireland are traditional turf courses, but there are some with artificial surfaces like fibresand, polytrack and tapeta. A select few even have turf and All-Weather courses together. On this page, you will find a comprehensive list of racecourses in the British Isles where horse racing under Rules takes place. There are many more Point-to-Point (PTP) venues up and down the land, but these are not covered. We also provide details of the main events on offer at horse race tracks which are home to Grade 1 and Group 1 events. Such race courses in the UK and Ireland see the very highest level of equine competition take place at them, so that is why it is worthwhile highlighting these to you. We begin our look through the Rules scene in the British Isles with those race courses in England, then move to other parts of the UK and Ireland.
List of Racecourses in England
There are currently 51 race courses in England open. As the largest part of the UK, it’s not all that surprising that this figure is the highest. Check out the full list of racecourses in England below which uses the following key. AW denotes an All-Weather venue, F means Flat horse racing takes place there and J for jumps:
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As the home of the Grand National, the world’s most famous steeplechase, Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool is a big deal in the world of jumps horse racing. Although only holding Grade 3 handicap chase status, the Grand National is one of those races everybody involved in the sport wants to win. Two-thirds of UK adults are said to be betting on the Grand National each and every year.
There are plenty of horses to go at as 40 runners with jockeys line up in the Grand National on its unique track with spruce covered fences. Other races are on the Mildmay course, but all events are run anticlockwise. Around the race, an entire Festival has built up and now contains 11 Grade 1 races. Four of those are on the Thursday of the Grand National meeting which is held in April.
Starting with the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, there is also the age-restricted Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle, the extended three-mile Aintree Bowl and Aintree Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles. Ladies Day at Aintree also has four Grade 1s in the Top Novices’ Hurdle, Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Melling Chase over two-and-a-half miles and the three-mile Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.
Grand National day is one of the biggest for any race courses in the UK with three Grade 1s besides the main event. The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles, the two-mile Maghull Novices’ Chase and three-mile Liverpool Hurdle get punters in the mood for the world-famous steeplechase at Aintree.
Ascot
Amongst the list of horse race tracks in England, few come up to the standard of Ascot! The sheer number of elite races held here pay credit to this intriguing right-hand course, with its uphill finish, a factor well known for being a challenge to even the best racehorses. Thanks to events like Royal Ascot in June and British Champions Day in October, they have 13 Group 1 events at the course throughout the Flat season.
Eight of those are during Royal Ascot and there are three on the opening day alone: the Queen Anne Stakes for older horses over a mile, the King’s Stand Stakes for sprinters over the flying five furlongs and the three-year-olds only St James’s Palace Stakes.
The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes for older horses over a mile-and-a-quarter is the feature race on day two of that meeting, while the Ascot Gold Cup headlines the Thursday card. On Friday at Royal Ascot, the three-year-olds only six-furlong sprint called the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes – a mile race for fillies of that age – both hold Group 1 status.
On the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot is the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, a sprint for older horses. That, alongside the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes are Grade 1 events. British Champions Day has top level Sprint and Fillies and Mares races, plus the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile and the mile-and-a-quarter Champion Stakes.
There are also three Grade 1 National Hunt races in the two-mile Clarence House Chase in January, extended two-and-a-half miles Ascot Chase in February and three-mile Long Walk Hurdle in December.
Cheltenham
Widely regarded as the home of jumps racing, Cheltenham stands alone among race courses in England for the quality on offer. There are 14 Grade 1 National Hunt races held at this undulating and testing left-handed venue in the Cotswolds. All of them take place during the four-day Cheltenham Festival in March.
The opening day of this meeting sees the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Arkle Challenge Trophy for novice chasers staged over a distance of about two miles. It’s the Champion Hurdle at the same trip which is the highlight of Cheltenham Festival day 1, however, with the Mares’ Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles following that.
Ladies Day has four more Grade 1 events. The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle over an extended two-and-a-half miles, plus the three-mile RSA Novices’ Chase always attract quality entries. Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival is headlined by the two-mile Queen Mother Champion Chase which also contains the Champion Bumper for horses who have been running in National Hunt Flat races.
Day 3 has two feature contests in the Ryanair Chase over an extended two-and-a-half miles and the three-mile Stayers’ Hurdle. The Marsh Novices’ Chase, run over the same course and distance as the Ryanair, also holds Grade 1 status.
Finally, Cheltenham Gold Cup day concludes the Festival. The Triumph Hurdle sees the best four-year-olds running under National Hunt Rules compete in age-restricted Grade 1, while the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle tests horses’ stamina over three miles. As for the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself, the three-and-a-quarter miles race is regarded as the blue riband event of steeplechasing.
Doncaster
The St Leger and its Festival at Doncaster in September is one of the oldest meetings in the Flat calendar. As the last of the Classics in the season, but the one with the most history after first being run in 1776, Town Moor is one of the storied horse race tracks in the UK and Ireland.
Now raced over an extended one-and-a-half miles, the St Leger for three-year-old colts and fillies is one of two Group 1 races run at left-handed venue Doncaster with its long home straight. The other, the Vertem Futurity Trophy, is restricted to two-year-olds and held in late October. National Hunt horse racing also takes place on Town Moor, but there are currently no Grade 1 events over jumps at this Yorkshire course.
Epsom Downs
The premier Classic, The Derby, has pride of place in the horse racing held on the unique and undulating track of Epsom Downs. Known globally as the Epsom Derby, this Group 1 race over a mile-and-a-half for three-year-old colts and fillies takes place on the first Saturday in June, but not all horses take to the track. It is the second of two days of top Flat horse racing at the venue.
On the Friday, The Oaks – a Classic restricted to three-year-old fillies – run alongside another Grade 1, the Coronation Cup for older horses. Both of those events are over the same course and distance as The Derby. For the two days of the Derby Festival, it becomes one of the most prestigious race courses in England and the whole of the UK.
Goodwood
Another one of the undisputed favourites on our list of racecourses in England is Goodwood. One of the few flat racing only venues and home to the renowned ‘Glorious Goodwood’ meeting, which takes place at the end of July and runs into the beginning of August. During this festival, there are three Group 1s starting with the Goodwood Cup over two miles. Unlike some of the other cup races in the UK and Ireland, this long distance event is open to three-year-olds as well as older horses.
Later on in Glorious Goodwood, there is the Sussex Stakes over an easy downhill mile. As with the other feature contests during the meeting at this right-handed venue in the Sussex Downs, this is open to three-year-olds and up. The Nassau Stakes over almost a mile-and-a-quarter is for fillies only and completes the Group 1 action you can see at Goodwood.
Haydock Park
Across Merseyside from Aintree is another venue for horse racing in Haydock Park. This hosts one elite race on the Flat, in the Haydock Sprint Cup, and another over jumps, the Betfair Chase. The former takes place in early September and the latter in mid-November. Other notable races on this left-handed course include the Peter Marsh Chase and Grand National Trial over jumps and the Lancashire Oaks on the Flat.
Kempton Park
None of the race courses in England is more synonymous with Christmastime than Kempton Park. This is because on Boxing Day there are three Grade 1 jumps races on a traditionally busy day for the sport. These are headlined by the King George VI Chase over three easy miles on the right-handed, flat track. The Kauto Star Novices’ Chase is contested over the same course and distance, while the two-mile Christmas Hurdle is very prestigious in its own sphere.
A little known fact about Kempton Park near Sunbury-on-Thames on the outskirts of London as it has the only scheduled Group race on the All-Weather in England in the September Stakes. Other Group races have been moved to courses with artificial surfaces, but this is the only planned event. The emphasis is on speed rather than stamina at Kempton whether your horse is jumping obstacles or not.
Newbury
Another dual purpose venue on our list of racecourses, Newbury is a relatively flat, left-handed track that has top class racing all year round. On the Flat, the sole Group 1 event is the Lockinge Stakes over the straight mile for older horses in May. In National Hunt horse, Newbury is home to the valuable Ladbrokes Trophy – a race better known as the Hennessy Gold Cup. The Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles is usually the final one of the calendar year.
Newcastle
The Flat turf course at Gosforth Park on the edge of Newcastle was replaced by an All-Weather one in recent years. That meant a change of surface for the competitive Northumberland Plate, a staying handicap over an extended two miles. Over jumps, there is one Grade 1 race, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle over the same trip, which is held on the first Saturday in December or last in November.
Newmarket
As the headquarters of British Flat horse racing, Newmarket has nine Group 1 races over its two main courses, the Rowley Mile that is used in the spring and autumn months, and the July course for the summer. The first two Classics of the season, the 2000 Guineas for three-year-old colts and fillies, and 1000 Guineas exclusively for fillies of that age, take place in early May.
The Falmouth Stakes,over a mile on the July Course is open to three-year-old fillies and up, while the July Cup is a sprint over six furlongs. These are the main races of the July Festival held at Newmarket between Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood.
In September, there are juvenile Group 1s for both colts in the Middle Park Stakes and fillies with the Cheveley Park Stakes. Both are contested over six furlongs. The Sun Chariot Stakes is a mile test for three-year-old fillies and older, while the Fillies’ Mile is for two-year-olds only. That leaves the Dewhurst Stakes for juveniles over seven furlongs completing the annual Group 1 horse racing from Newmarket.
Sandown Park
Like other Park race courses in the UK, Sandown hosts both jumps and Flat action. The Eclipse Stakes in early July over a mile-and-a-quarter is their big Group 1 race on the level. This is open to horses aged three and above.
A right-handed track with an uphill finish like Ascot, Sandown Park also has five Grade 1 National Hunt events. The Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle over about two miles is held here at the Esher venue on the edge of London in early January. The Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase over about two-and-a-half miles takes place in February, while the Jumps Finale has the two-mile Celebration Chase as one of its features at the end of Apri.
There are two other Grade 1s in December in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and Tingle Creek, both over two miles and traditionally run on winter ground. Sandown Park is characterised by its Railway Fences down the back straight and Pond Fence which is taken before turning for home.
York
York is yet another cracker of a course and one that is often overlooked. It’s another of the rare flat race only courses in England, and a quirky one at that! Although this right-handed track is level, it’s prone to very heavy going at times and although summer days at York are the stuff of dreams, they’re also hard on a young horse’s legs! Nevertheless it’s high on our list of race courses in the UK you should visit. The highlight of the season at York is the Ebor Festival, held in mid-to-late August with three Group 1 events over a four-day meeting.
On the opening day of the Ebor is the Juddmonte International Stakes over one-and-a-quarter miles. It’s open to horses aged three and up, as is the Nunthorpe Stakes which is run at a scoring gallop by sprinters over the flying five furlongs on the Friday. Fillies and mares get their chance to shine in the Yorkshire Oaks on the Thursday which is Ladies Day and then the hugely valuable Ebor Handicap over one-and-three-quarter miles ends the Festival on the Saturday.
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There are three horse race tracks in Wales. That is obviously a much smaller list of racecourses than those in England, but of those one is of particular note:
Bangor-on-Dee (J)
Chepstow (F J)
Ffos Las (F J)
Chepstow
As one of the only horse race tracks in the UK outside of England to host a Group or Grade 1 race, Chepstow has a big day of action over Christmas. The Finale Juvenile Hurdle is an age-restricted two-mile contest on Welsh Grand National day, 27 December. This is the supporting race to the big staying handicap chase over three-and-three-quarter miles which, although only a Grade 3, is of big betting interest.
Scotland
As for the horse race tracks in Scotland, there are five. There isn’t any Grade 1 or Group 1 racing in this part of the UK, but they are still passionate about the sport. Again, this is a far more modest list of racecourses at a tenth of the amount in England:
Ayr (F J)
Hamilton Park (F)
Kelso (J)
Musselburgh (F)
Perth (J)
Northern Ireland
There are just two horse race tracks in Northern Ireland: Downpatrick and Down Royal. Both host Flat and National Hunt action. Down Royal has the sole Grade 1 race in Northern Ireland with the three-mile Champion Chase on the last Saturday in October or first in November.
Horse Race Tracks in the Republic of Ireland
Now you know about the race courses in the UK, what about the Republic of Ireland? There is a thriving scene in the Emerald Isle which means the sport is alive and well. Many of the best racehorses are trained in Ireland, so it’s always worth your while keeping a look out for the results from the 24 horse race tracks there. This is the full list of racecourses in the Republic:
Ballinrobe (F J)
Leopardstown (F J)
Fairyhouse (F J)
Roscommon (F J)
Bellewstown (F J)
Listowel (F J)
Galway (F J)
Sligo (F J)
Clonmel (F J)
Limerick (F J)
Gowran Park (F J)
Thurles (F J)
Cork (F J)
Naas (F J)
Kilbeggan (J)
Tipperary (F J)
Curragh (F)
Navan (F J)
Killarney (F J)
Tramore (F J)
Dundalk (AW)
Punchestown (J)
Laytown (AW)
Wexford (J)
As horse race tracks go, Laytown is unique as the races are actually held on the beach rather than turf or an artificial surface. There are Grade 1 races at Limerick and Naas over the Christmas and New Year period, but these four courses at the biggest in Ireland:
Curragh
The Curragh is what Newmarket and other leading Flat race courses in the UK are to Ireland. All five Irish Classics: the 2000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas, Derby, Oaks and St Leger are all run here over the same distance as the English equivalents. There are 11 Group 1s in total there which also include the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Pretty Polly Stakes, Phoenix Stakes and three others on Irish Champions Weekend.
Fairyhouse
There are five Grade 1s at the home of the Irish Grand National, Fairyhouse. Three are in December: the two-mile Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, Drinmore Novice Chase over two-and-a-half miles and the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. The other two – the Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final and Fairyhouse Gold Cup for novice chases – are during the Easter Festival. This track is a right-handed venue with a hill, Ballyhack, to climb in the back straight.
Leopardstown
Across two Group 1s and 15 Grade 1s, Leopardstown tops the list of racecourses for more elite horse racing anywhere in the British Isles. One day of Irish Champions Weekend in September takes place here with the Matron Stakes over a mile for fillies and the Irish Champion Stakes over a mile-and-a-quarter both holding top level status.
Most of the 15 Grade 1 National Hunt races are either at the Christmas Festival in December or the Dublin Racing Festival in late January or early February. Among the Grade 1s at the Christmas Festival is the three-mile Savills Chase. There are seven in total. The Dublin Racing Festival has the Irish Arkle for novice chasers, Dublin Chase and the Irish Champion Hurdle all over two miles, and the three-mile Irish Gold Cup.
Punchestown
Unlike most race courses in England, Punchestown has a five-day Festival that marks the end of the Irish National hunt season in late April and early May. There are 14 Grade 1s there and the first in the jumps season is the two-mile Morgiana Hurdle in November, followed by the John Durkan Memorial Chase over two-and-a-half miles in early December.
All other 12 are at the Punchestown Festival. These include the Punchestown Champion Chase, Punchestown Gold Cup, Champion Stayers Hurdle, Punchestown Champion Hurdle and the Mares Champion Hurdle.
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