UK Racecourses

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Norman Stanley Fletcher said:
according to the BHA there are 60 racecourses in the UK. Has anyone been to all of them?
I’m at 32/60
Click to expand...
Almost certainly, but I haven't. I have only been to:
Ascot
Bath
Brighton
Epsom
Goodwood
Kempton
Newbury
Newmarket
Sandown
Windsor

I've also been to Hurst Park (closed ages ago), plus Chester and Doncaster racecourses but wasn't for horse racing
 
I'm a complete novice, only been to Aintree, Cheltenham, Chester, Doncaster and Newmarket (Rowley Mile).

I have been to Hoppegarten and Leipzig racecourses here in Germany though (also Karlshorst in Berlin but that was camel racing).

I also visited Santa Anita a couple of years back whilst on a business trip (there was no racing on but I could pretty much walk around as I pleased. Beautiful place).
 
Ascot
Bath
Cheltenham
Chepstow
Doncaster
Epsom
Ffos Las
Fontwell
Goodwood
Hereford
Huntingdon
Kempton
Newbury
Newton Abbot
Sandown
Southwell
Stratford
Taunton
Towcester (rip)
Uttoxeter
Warwick
Wetherby
Wincanton
Worcester

Not a bad list, need to venture northwards more often!!

Throw in Meydan, Longchamps, Santa Anita and I can’t complain about the places I’ve seen racing.

still the best course is about 5 miles from my door!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: redcgull
Well done with 32 out of 60. Can't match that.

Ascot (flat)
Beverley
Catterick (flat)
Cheltenham
Chester
Doncaster (flat)
Epsom
(Folkestone: flat and jumps)
Goodwood
Kempton (flat, jumps not AW)
Lingfield (flat)
Newbury (flat and mixed)
Newmarket (Rowley and July)
Newton Abbot
Nottingham (flat)
Redcar
Ripon
Salisbury
Sandown (flat, mixed and NH)
Thirsk
Wetherby (NH)
Windsor (flat and NH)
(Wye)
York

Teesside Park (shopping), Longchamp, Deauville (France) Happy Valley, Sha Tin (HK) Turffontein, Germiston, Kenilworth, Milnerton (RSA), Arlington USA).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: redcgull and Norman Stanley Fletcher
Aintree
Ascot
Bangor
Bath
Brighton
Cartmel
Chelmsford
Cheltenham
Chepstow
Chester
Epsom
Exeter
Fontwell
Goodwood
Great Yarmouth
Haydock
Kempton
Leicester
Lingfield
Ludlow
Market Rasen
Newbury
Newmarket
Newton Abbot
Plumpton
Salisbury
Sandown
Stratford
Uttoxeter
Warwick
Wincanton
Windsor
Worcester
York

So 34 in total. I have been to three others but not on race days. I also did Folkestone which is now closed and Windsor jumps where I used to run from the last fence in the front to the first in the back to watch them jump both.

Point to points at Kingston Blount, Kimble, Tweseldown, Parham, Chipping Norton and the one near Swindon who’s name escapes me. Barbury Castle, Penshurst and Mollington.

Further afield I have also been to Longchamp and Randwick.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: redcgull, Norman Stanley Fletcher and Bustino74
Not many for me
Perth
York
Ascot
Sandown
Newbury
Newmarket
but I have been to Lanark (closed years ago) but was for Pony Club camp!
Also been to Randwick and Albury
 
NassauBoard said:
Ascot
Bath
Cheltenham
Chepstow
Doncaster
Epsom
Ffos Las
Fontwell
Goodwood
Hereford
Huntingdon
Kempton
Newbury
Newton Abbot
Sandown
Southwell
Stratford
Taunton
Towcester (rip)
Uttoxeter
Warwick
Wetherby
Wincanton
Worcester

Not a bad list, need to venture northwards more often!!

Throw in Meydan, Longchamps, Santa Anita and I can’t complain about the places I’ve seen racing.

still the best course is about 5 miles from my door!!
Click to expand...

That’s a good effort- especially with the international visits. So which is your favourite?
 
This is my list
Aintree
Ascot
Bangor
Beverley
Carlisle
Catterick
Cheltenham
Chester
Doncaster
Epsom
Goodwood
Haydock
Hexham
Huntingdon
Kempton
Leicester
Ludlow
Newbury
Newcastle
Newmarket - Rowley Mile and July course
Pontefract
Redcar
Ripon
Sandown
Sedgefield
Stratford
Thirsk
Uttoxeter
Wetherby
Windsor
Worcester
York

It’s an ambition to visit all 60 but the West Country courses + Ffos Las are going to be a bit difficult as I live in Yorkshire.

I’ve also been to Longchamp and Stockton which became Teesside Oark before it closed down

Favourite would be York but I like the little country courses like Hexham and Stratford
 
Norman Stanley Fletcher said:
That’s a good effort- especially with the international visits. So which is your favourite?
Click to expand...

Many on here will be groaning when they read that, because they know I will probably prattle on about my hatred of Ascot!!

For me, going racing is horses for courses kind of stuff, I seldom drink when racing for example and don't do hospitality unless I have to (when one of our horses is running etc), and I prefer to see the horses in the parade ring and watch from a position high in a stand. As such I don't really like courses like Ascot where I find it is more about being seen and hospitality rather than watching the racing and seeing the horses. I also have a dislike of that courses clientele!!

So for me the top 5 courses in the UK visited are -

5 - Stratford - nice summer course, we often go into centre course for picnics with family. Watching the chase races develop down the far side is very good and probably is one of the unknown highlights of british racing. I also like seeing the jumps in the home straight when in the grandstand. The parade ring is set up well too.

4 - Warwick - I love this course, the action is normally decent quality and obviously have good novice chases. I like the way the course is set up and only negative is not being able to see the horses going around the far side behind the hill/woods.

3- Sandown - The railway fences are the best set of fences in UK racing for me. Seeing the G1 2 mile chasers going over them is electric. Course is well set up and the parade ring is a focal point of the course. The grandstand is a bit of a vast airport feel which is the only negative.

2- Chepstow - Love going to the first jumps meeting of the winter, the course is brilliant if not a little run down and in need of a bit of TLC. However the viewing is great, the parade ring position is superb and the racing quality is pretty useful too/

1 - Cheltenham - just up the road, hosts the best racing and has the best views in UK racing. The fact you can see the action from high in any of the stands and the set up of the parade ring and pre-parade are top notch. The newest developments of the new stand and the two tiers around the parade ring are brilliant and they've improved it no end during the festival as you can find good viewing that isn't full of eejits.

Of the overseas courses, I hated Meydan (same rationale as Ascot) whilst Santa Anita was spectacular. Longchamps pre-redevelopment was quality but not been back since they did the grandstand.

A quick mention to both Fontwell and Southwell for the quality of their trees/greenery!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ron and redcgull
NassauBoard said:
Many on here will be groaning when they read that, because they know I will probably prattle on about my hatred of Ascot!!

For me, going racing is horses for courses kind of stuff, I seldom drink when racing for example and don't do hospitality unless I have to (when one of our horses is running etc), and I prefer to see the horses in the parade ring and watch from a position high in a stand. As such I don't really like courses like Ascot where I find it is more about being seen and hospitality rather than watching the racing and seeing the horses. I also have a dislike of that courses clientele!!

So for me the top 5 courses in the UK visited are -

5 - Stratford - nice summer course, we often go into centre course for picnics with family. Watching the chase races develop down the far side is very good and probably is one of the unknown highlights of british racing. I also like seeing the jumps in the home straight when in the grandstand. The parade ring is set up well too.

4 - Warwick - I love this course, the action is normally decent quality and obviously have good novice chases. I like the way the course is set up and only negative is not being able to see the horses going around the far side behind the hill/woods.

3- Sandown - The railway fences are the best set of fences in UK racing for me. Seeing the G1 2 mile chasers going over them is electric. Course is well set up and the parade ring is a focal point of the course. The grandstand is a bit of a vast airport feel which is the only negative.

2- Chepstow - Love going to the first jumps meeting of the winter, the course is brilliant if not a little run down and in need of a bit of TLC. However the viewing is great, the parade ring position is superb and the racing quality is pretty useful too/

1 - Cheltenham - just up the road, hosts the best racing and has the best views in UK racing. The fact you can see the action from high in any of the stands and the set up of the parade ring and pre-parade are top notch. The newest developments of the new stand and the two tiers around the parade ring are brilliant and they've improved it no end during the festival as you can find good viewing that isn't full of eejits.

Of the overseas courses, I hated Meydan (same rationale as Ascot) whilst Santa Anita was spectacular. Longchamps pre-redevelopment was quality but not been back since they did the grandstand.

A quick mention to both Fontwell and Southwell for the quality of their trees/greenery!!
Click to expand...

Very interesting - thanks!

I like York because of the quality of the racing and it’s easy for me to get to. If you know the back roads you can get to within half a mile of the course without any queues! Also it’s usually a good atmosphere and plenty of room to move around.

I know what you mean about Ascot. I once went on Gold Cup day ( Ladies Day) and you couldn’t move. The majority weren’t interested in the racing - each to their own I guess but I wouldn’t go back for more of that

Having said that I think Cheltenham during the festival is head and shoulders above any other meeting. It is busy but there is plenty of room to move around and the atmosphere is something else.
 
Well after a bit of head scratching to try and remember where i've been to, it's the following...

Regular visits...
Haydock
Aintree

Holiday trips, I go to Scotland a lot for holidays and always fit a course in on the trip, not done Kelso yet...
Ayr
Perth
Mussleburgh
Newton Abbott

Less regular...
Cheltenham
Chester
Cartmel
York
Leicester
Doncaster

Not too bad i suppose, still a fair few that i would like to go to though...<ok>
 
Excellent thread and so pleased to see several mentions re God's own racecourse, Newton Abbot. However, am slightly distressed that these aren't accompanied by wonderful eulogies re the great venue. To me its the greatest of the lot of them.

My full list is - Ascot, Bath, Brighton, Cheltenham, Chepstow, Exeter, Goodwood, Huntingdon, Newbury, Newton Abbot, Salisbury, Stratford, Taunton, Towcester, Windsor and Worcester.

Still shocking (and my head is hung in shame) that I haven't been to Ffos Las but certainly hope to remedy that malady within the next few months.

The worse by some way that I have been to is Goodwood. As I've said many times before zero atmosphere and overall very poor in my humble opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: redcgull
Resurgam said:
My paltry effort is:

Ascot
Leicester
Newbury
Fakenham
Yarmouth
Chepstow
Click to expand...
may be paltry but 3 I haven't been to that I should have visited.

Must admit my favourite course used to be Newbury. There's not a fairer course, the racing is good but it's not what it used to be.
I loved the April meeting and during the '70s went to the spacious Silver Ring regularly. Continued in the '80s but suddenly they combined the Silver Ring and the Grandstand. A lose lose situation for the punters. Us Silver Ringers were paying 3-4 times more and getting not a lot more while the Grandstanders who had paid good money for their tickets suddenly had a load of extra people dropped on them including coachloads of drunken ^^^^^^^^ mainly from Wales. They did the same at York a few years later, but probably handled it a bit better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: redcgull
York
Haydock
Doncaster
Cartmel
Nottingham
Stratford
Warwick
Cheltenham
Worcester
Towcester
Southwell
Market Rasen
Newmarket
Chester
Wincanton
Leicester
Catterick
Hereford

York’s super but you can’t drink and bet on the rails- too much hiking.
Cartmel’s run in goes on for ever.
Catterick’s an absolute dump and freezing in winter.
Wincanton’s a bloody long way!
Cheltenham on a sunny day is beautiful.
Haydock is homely and cosy- and hard to find winners.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sir Barney Chuckles and redcgull
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back