The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Only football is more popular in terms of average spectatorship in the United Kingdom than horse racing. The biggest events on the racing schedule attracting thousands of fans, with novices to the sport also gaining an interest in what is taking place on track.
One of the best horse racing bonus that comes with the sport is the fact that it enables fans to travel the world and visit iconic tracks. But, what are some of the standout tracks that all visitors should visit in the United Kingdom?
There are few more popular racetracks in the United Kingdom to visit than the iconic Cheltenham Racecourse. The home of jumps racing see fans of the sport descend on the course for their annual pilgrimage every March, with the Cheltenham Festival being the most attended meet on the calendar in the UK and Ireland.
Cheltenham was first opened in 1815, but it wasn’t until 1834 that the first jumps meeting was staged at the track. Nowadays, it is one of the great natural amphitheatres in the world of sport, with over 67,000 fans attending some of the biggest events on the calendar.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the biggest race to be staged at the track throughout the season, with the race that is run over an extended three miles having been won by some of the greats in the world of National Hunt racing. Other popular racedays on the calendar include New Year’s Day and Trials Day, which takes place at the end of January.
York is the third biggest racecourse in the United Kingdom in terms of prize money offered throughout the season, meaning that the races at the track typically attract competitive fields. It is one of the most popular tracks to visit for international fans, as it is located in one of the | most underrated cities in the country.
A total of 36 Group 1s are staged at York throughout the season, and unlike Cheltenham, the main focus is on the action on the flat. York Racecourse first staged racing in the Roman times, but the city corporation didn’t give its support to the track until 1530.
The most prestigious meeting at the track is the Ebor Festival, which features one of the world’s biggest handicap races. In terms of high-quality racing on track, the Juddmonte International meeting often attracts star studded fields, and it was famously won by Frankel in 2012.
There are few more historic racecourses in the world than Chester, as it is officially recognised as the oldest course still in operation by the Guinness Book of World Records. Racing at the track dates back to the early 16th century, with the first meeting taking place in 1539. However, there are contrasting reports that claim that the first horse racing at Chester in fact took place in 1512.
As well as being the oldest track in operation, Chester is also one of the smallest in England, with the course covering just a mile and a furlong. The big meeting at the track takes place in May, with the three-day festival featuring some key clues for the Epsom Derby and Oaks. The standout race comes in the form of the Chester Vase, which is a major prep for the Derby.
Aintree Racecourse has hosted top quality racing over jumps since 1829, and it is home to one of the world’s most famous races in the form of the Grand National. The iconic race is watched in over 100 countries across the globe, and has created some of the lasting images in racing.
Legends such as Red Rum and Tiger Roll were born in the Grand National, and the star remain among a small number that have won multiple editions of the race. As well as the iconic three-day Grand National meet, racing is also staged at Aintree in May, June, October, November, and December. Given the fact that it is located in one of the most famous cities of Liverpool, international visitors are always welcome at Aintree.
Sandown Park is one of the most frequently visited racecourses in the United Kingdom, having held competitive sport since 1875. It is one of the few courses in the country to host both jumps and flat racing at the very highest level. Five Grade Ones over jumps are staged at Sandown every season, while the Eclipse Stakes is the only flat top prize run at the track.
Since its establishment, Sandown has also hosted some of the biggest names in music, with UB40, Simply Red, and Spandau Ballet all playing shows at the Surrey track. Sandown’s biggest race day takes place in April, as the season-ended jumps meeting features the Gold Cup and the Celebration Chase.
