Case Study - Arena Racing Company, UK. Arena Racing Company contracted TPD to install Race Pace at all their UK racecourses. With 40% of all UK racing, ARC has one of the busiest calendars in the country. Since 2015, TPD has been providing in-race timing for ARC and streaming live race data to At The Races. This List of British racecourses gives details of both current and former horse racing venues in Great Britain. There are, as of 28 February 2021, 59 racecourses operating in Great Britain (excluding Point-to-Point courses). In addition, there is a former racecourse, Folkestone, which is mothballed pending a decision over its future. There are currently no plans for Folkestone to operate. Southwell Racecourse offers a unique blend of charm, excitement and comfort, making it one of the premier sporting venues in the East Midlands. With racing on both All-Weather and Turf tracks taking place throughout the year, we are one of the country's busiest racecourses. Ascot Racecourse is one of the busiest racecourses in Britain hosting 9 of the UK’s 32 annual Group 1 races. It stages 26 days of racing over the course of the year, and important jump racing during the winter period. The most prestigious race is King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes held in July. Hosting 37 race days across the National Hunt and Flat seasons, Doncaster Racecourse is one of the busiest racecourses in the UK. Steeped in history, it is home to the world’s oldest classic race, the St Leger Stakes, first run in 1776. We are proud to host The St Leger Festival among many other popular race meetings.

Article Contents

History
The Sand
The Courses
Draw Biases
Horses and Sires
Trainers and Jockeys

In Britain there are five active all weather racecourses, one of which recently re-opened.

Lingfield is the oldest all weather course followed by Southwell. Wolverhampton turned to sand in 1993 and it was thirteen years later before the next all weather course at Kempton was built.

Great Leighs was the latest of the all weather racecourses to be built but financial difficulties led to the closure of the course in 2009. The course re-opened in 2015 under the new name Chelmsford City.

Lingfield Racecourse

Lingfield Park is known for being the first all weather course in the UK. This picturesque racecourse also hosts Flat Turf and National Hunt meetings making it one of the most busiest racecourses in Europe.

Established in 1890 the racecourse is steeped in history: it has a perfect blend of victorian architecture, contemporary buildings and picturesque gardens. Along with state of the art facilities and a championship golf course, Lingfield Park offers extensive hospitality facilities making it a superb and memorable day out for friends, family or work colleagues.

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Until Kempton Park opened as an all weather track Lingfield was the course with the classiest all weather races. Lingfield hosts numerous group races throughout the year culminating in the two day Winter Derby festival at the end of the main all weather season in March.

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Kempton Racecourse

Kempton Park all weather course opened in March 2006. The track was built using the latest generation of polytrack and provides racing all year round day or night.

The first all weather track in Britain to run right-handed the course also boasts a retractable floodlighting system - so when there is no racing under lights the columns go down and everybody can have a great view of the track during daytime meetings.

Kempton offers extensive catering facilities to suit all pockets. You can opt for relaxed dining in the Premier Suite or there is a huge variety of food outlets in the Paddock Enclosure, if food on the go is your thing. Corporate and group entertainment packages are also available for entertaining friends, family, clients or colleagues.

Southwell Racecourse

Southwell racecourse is one of the premier sporting venues in the East Midlands. Southwell provides race meetings all year round - mainly all weather racing but they also host flat turf and national hunt meetings. To add to your enjoyment there are also a variety of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets.

Entertain friends, relatives or business associates in style at Southwell Racecourse. The modern, private hospitality boxes are set within the Premier Enclosure and is ideal for hosting guests in a high profile environment with superb views of the entire course.

Southwell Golf Club is situated on course. The first nine holes being in the centre of the racecourse. Race and Play packages are available which include a round of golf and a days racing.

Strange But True

Kieren Fallon has a poor record at Southwell (9% strike rate). He once said he does not like the course because the Fibresand sticks to his hair.

Wolverhampton Racecourse

Wolverhampton Racecourse is Britain's first floodlit racecourse and one of the busiest hosting around 100 meetings a year.

Well known for its themed Saturday evening race meetings it offers a unique and thrilling atmosphere.

There are various bars and food outlets to choose from in the Grandstand Enclosure. There are many restaurants too with the flagship being the 370 seater with panoramic views of the course Horizons restaurant.

Wolverhampton also prides itself on being an excellent Conference and Exhibition centre offering various suites and seminar rooms. Weddings are also well catered for with various packages and they also have a licence to perform civil weddings.

The course also has it own on site hotel - the Holiday Inn Garden Court. It has 54 rooms, a restaurant, fitness room and conference suites.

During it's history Wolverhampton has had three different types of all weather surface. Initially the course was made using Fibresand. In 2004 that was replaced with the more versatile Polytrack. In August 2014 (after strong criticisms of the Polytrack, which had deteriorated and was badly maintained) the surface was replaced with Tapeta - a new type of all weather of all weather surface that had not been used in Britain before.

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Chelmsford City Racecourse

Opened in 2008 as Great Leighs (but now renamed as Chelmsford City racecourse) this was the first new racecourse to be built in Britain for over 80 years. Located in Essex to the north of London this racecourse has a great catchment area and is popular with Newmarket based trainers.

The two-storey grandstand will be the place to be in Essex, with bars and eateries open until late after racing, and with concerts planned. It will be operational on many other days for other events, such as live broadcasting of racing elsewhere, and of other major sports.

Newcastle

In May 2016 Newcastle joined the All Weather scene after ripping up the flat turf course and replacing it with Tapeta.

This course is unusual in that it has an 8f straight course. Previously the only all weather course with a straigth was the 5f course at Southwell so now there is a second, and there are also straight races of 6f, 7.5f and 8f.