Course characteristics as far as the selections go: Course Characteristics

Course Survey for the who/what/why/hows: Course Survey

THE SMALLER TRACKS

BANGOR:  Notoriously lacking in stands, the spectators stand on grass banks that run alongside the course. In late summer, the crops in the middle of the course can be a slight obstruction to the viewing - but then again it is less likely to rain at that time of year. There are plenty of gentle turns as the course is sort of pear-shaped, which is reminiscent of every bet I have had when visiting there. Key travel advice is that Bangor-on-Dee and Bangor-Is-Y-Coed are the same place.

CARLISLE:  Has quite a steep uphill climb to the line, but it is not nearly as long as that at Towcester. However, when the ground is soft (which seems par for the course after August) any horses with stamina limitations will be truly found out. The plateau near the winning line does make getting a good view of all the obstacles hard. The best spot is by the last fence, but if more than about a dozen people stand there, the advantage is cancelled. Since I last visited a new stand has been built, which may improve all round viewing slightly and hopefully has provided tip-top facilities 

CARTMEL:   Due to racing around bank holidays and an average crowd over five figures cramming into a small Lake District settlement, I have never made it to Cartmel. There is a deceptive uphill finish on the half-mile (not a misprint) run-in. However, go for the occasion as a wood and fun fairs hide much of the course from normal sight, unless standing on the rocky outcrop just after the last hurdle. I went for the mid-July meeting, which seemed less hectic than the others are reputed to be.  

CATTERICK: It is flattish, with good viewing, but no outstanding characteristics. The facilities when I was last there a few years ago were sufficient but unspectacular. The two mile hurdles in particular often attract big fields, usually a sign that the course is not posing any tricky questions to the participants, so other than over-crowding, there are no excuses for the defeated.

EXETER: Or, to give it it's full name, Haldon Steeplechases at Exeter Raceourse, staged by the Devon & Exeter Races. Or something equally puffy. The course is on top of a very tall hill, so is predictably undulating and testing. The end of the back straight is quite steep, and the home straight is a long, steady rise to the line. There is a summer course and a winter course, which saves some of the ground on the far side. In summer, the caravan park in the middle of the course provides a great obstruction to viewing, even if high in the stand (the racegoer, not the caravans). The course is also prone to fog, so any day that you go and see everything has to be considered a bonus! I understand that a bus runs from Exeter St David's station to the course on race days.

FAKENHAM: Is a very tight track and this compactness is also reflected in the stands - the crowds for a Sunday meeting tend to be greater than can be comfortably coped with. The turns and short straights on a course barely a mile square often mean that the races are run at quite a steady pace, so stamina is not at a premium. One oddity is that in three mile hurdles, the last flight is actually jumped four times. This has been known to catch out inexperienced jockeys occasionally, winning them a predictably raucous reception as they make their way back to the weighing room

FOLKESTONE:   Used to be famous for having chases with hardly any finishers when it was soft (I recall one meeting when three chases contested by about twenty runners only saw five complete), but of late that has not been the case. The chases do attract some potentially decent horses from big yards, but the hurdle races are generally modest. But much kudos to Folkestone for staging a 3m 4f hurdle! Westenhanger station is next to the track, but is not a scheduled daytime stop, so it is always worth checking what will stop there - surprisingly the Eurostar does not. Another thing this place has been associated with is bad facilities, but the newest stand has an OK bar, and the new cafeteria below what was the members' stand is excellent and the building furthest from the entrance has been redeveloped as a bar. Viewing is good, but the far side can get a bit lost on hazy days. The frustrating aspect for punters is the tendency for the opening prices to go up quite late, which must limit the potential for market movements.

FONTWELL PARK:  Is a very tight mile circuit, oval on the hurdles course, figure of eight on the chase course. The minimum trip here is 2m 2f, and the last furlong is uphill with a left to right camber, which often catches out tired horses or non-stayers. Travel by train takes you to Barnham, in the wilds of Sussex, from where a bus is laid on to the course. The pub opposite the station can get quite busy, but back under the railway bridge is a very pleasant alternative, the Murrell Arms. This used to be the best viewing track in the country, but the current management, Northern Racing, seem hell-bent on ruining it, blocking off the best viewing points and putting fun fairs in the middle of the track and all the support vehicles at the best spot in the intersection, so that large parts of the far side are obscured. Whoever is in charge appears to have a very low opinion of people who attend for the purpose of actually watching races. 

HEREFORD: Should be a pleasant rural venue, but is in fact tucked in between a sports centre and an industrial estate. The track is a flatish square, so the view of the racing is good, although to get a slight bit of elevation means standing well back from the rails, which provides a slightly odd atmosphere. All of my trips to the course have been extremely unsuccessful, so it is very hard to explore positive themes about Hereford. I could be wrong, but it does not appear to have any rails bookmakers, which is quite unusual. The pub that is, in effect, on the outside of the turn away from the stands is convenient.

HEXHAM: Is situated on an exposed hilltop, so races in autumn and spring. There are no stands, but the track is below the the enclosures, so the view is perfectly good. The turn out of the back straight features a short sharp climb, so all races contain a significant test of stamina, and the four mile chase staged in mid-March is only ever won by animals of remarkable endurance. There is a station at Hexham, but it lies right at the bottom of the hill and is a long, steep climb for those tackling it by foot. Downhill from the centre of the town would not be so bad. I believe a shuttle bus service runs to and from the course itself.

HUNTINGDON:  Is a big flat ovalish track which attracts some big fields and often has races run at a strong pace. The view from the stands is now perfect as the ancient buildings in the middle of the course are no longer a teasing blockage. The open ditch is in front of the stands, which generally provokes plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Ideally avoid horses best at further and liable to be outpaced. However, the congenial topography of the course has seen some very decent horses run in bumpers there. It is situated outside the town, near the A1, but I believe a bus is laid on to transport rail travellers.

August Bank Holiday at Huntingdon

KELSO:  Is a tight little track, with two back straights. The hurdle course stays on the same level as the middle of the course, but the chase course runs along a piece of raised ground just beyond where the hurdlers go. There is also a sharp dip on the turn away from the stands, and the run to the winning post is a long, steep uphill stretch. Oddly enough, the horses do not look to find it as tough as Carlisle or Towcester, although to the naked eye it seems comparable. Certainly it is sufficient to expose any stamina limitations. The best view can be had from the roof of the trackside buildings, unless vertigo is a problem! Rail travel is a nightmare as the nearest station is Berwick-on-Tweed (well over twenty miles away and not even in the same country since Anglo-Saxon times, when Kelso was in Northumbria). I have not come across any details of a bus service linking the two, but it is always worth checking.

Like any other track, Kelso has one or two regulars who like to arrive two hours before the meeting starts, just in case...

LEICESTER: Has one unique feature, in that there are more hurdles on the home straight than fences. Thus proving that unique does not necessarily mean interesting. It is another course where the run to the line is a severe uphill test, and the angle of the slope means that the best all round view is probably from by the last fence, rather than in the stands. The all-chase meeting in late February or early March is usually good entertainment and well supported for runners. If driving there from afar, getting back onto the M1 involves using the main road around the south of the city, and can be tiresome in the evening rush hour.

LINGFIELD:  Still has the odd jumps meeting, ground permitting. Since the all-weather was installed, some weird going reports have been issued, my favourite being soft, good to firm back straight. The course is quite tight, but the most notable feature is the short, sharp hill that is climbed and descended approaching the home turn. The bars and food outlets are designed to cope with a Saturday evening in the summer, so are generally unpressured on a winter's day. Locals roundly condemn the decision to put an all-weather flat race in the middle of the traditional post-Cheltenham Festival meeting. The station is a  very short walk from the entrance, with a direct footpath linking the two. The Star pub has a decent beer within walking distance, and the squash club lets in racegoers who cannot stagger 300m from course to station without a rehydration stop...

LUDLOW: Is a big tease for rail travellers as the line actually runs right behind the stands, but the nearest stop is a couple of miles away in the town itself. The main access road runs right through the middle of the course, which looks like a golf course until you nearly drive into one of the fences whilst trying to spot the way in (or is that just me?). When I visited, the best view was from the roof of the stand, which was not well indicated as an option, as it affords a clear sight over the vegetation. It is a flat course which does not put too much emphasis on stamina, but can result in big fields. It rarely seems to get very soft, so frost is more likely to threaten a meeting than water. There are some attempts ongoing to solve the problem fence coming into the back straight, but, like the third last at Kempton, there is no obvious reason why it has quite so many fallers.

MARKET RASEN:  Rates very highly amongst small tracks as plenty of time and effort goes into keeping things organised and the place spick and span. It has developed a reputation as a good venue for summer jumping with a variety of valuable races staged. The crowds are rarely low, although it is capable of handling a large turnout. Viewing wise, the stands can get a bit full (although part of the Silver Ring stand is actually in Tatts, and not many people notice this), but the area between bookies and parade ring affords an equally good sight of what is going on. Those indoctrinated to the view that Lincolnshire is part of a dead flat plain that goes on via Holland, Germany, Poland and Belarus to the Urals will find Market Rasen challenging. The station is walkable from the course, but I believe that trains thin out quite quickly in the evening, so getting there is much easier than getting back.

Another popular Sunday at Market Rasen

MUSSELBURGH: Must be the lowest course above sea-level in the country, as it is almost on the beach. This does have the effect of making soft ground very rare, as even when it rains heavily, the water drains away quickly. So in the depths of winter, when meetings are being lost left, right and centre, every so often Musselburgh pops up to save the day. The track is a level oval, with the best view being from the stands. Apart from that, it is a course lacking in distinctive features, but without anything to condemn it either. 

NEWTON ABBOT:  Only has one 'T'  at the end of it's name, despite numerous attempts to spell it otherwise. In a similar vein, the American city is Cincinnati - 3 'N's and only 1 'T' - but is mispelled even more frequently. Anyway, back to the point in hand. This is a flat, fairly nondescript track - nothing wrong with it, but no outstanding features either, except for a greyhound track next to the second last fence - races  Friday nights! I would add that their postcard does include a stylish shot of the betting hall. When I next get one, a copy will be added. But then I recall an oddity of Newton Abbot. They paint the hurdles green. And inter-city trains run parallel with the back straight.

PERTH:  Does not race very often, presumably due to being so far north, but those meetings that it does hold are very well supported. It is set in the grounds of Scone Palace, so is generally a pleasant place to be, although it gets very crowded on the busiest days and the flatness of the circuit makes the view from ground level indifferent unless you are right on the rails. The station is not terribly convenient for the course being a separated by a few miles and a rather large, rarely-bridged river, but a bus service runs to and from Mill Street in the town centre. Attendance does give an general sense of well-being.

Recent improvements at the Perth include erecting the most luminous winning post in the nation

PLUMPTON:   Sits on the side of one of the north downs, so the last 3 furlongs of the 1m 1f circuit are uphill. The drainage has recently been overhauled and the days of the truly desperate slog to the line may be gone - it is now only fairly desperate. The downhill stretch makes the two fences at the bottom of the hill tricky as the horses are often going too fast. In the modern transport era, more trains make scheduled stops at the station adjoining the home turn, eliminating the days of the legendary non-stopping train. Major improvements have been made to the facilities in the last couple of years and much of the cynicism about the course comes from those who have not been there in a fair while. Both pubs in the village high street (The Winning Post and The Plough) are quite nice. Viewing is excellent, even from the railway footbridge, for the cheapskate at heart.

SEDGEFIELD:  The best clue to the nature of the track comes from the betting ring - undulating and rising towards the finish. On the racing surface, the short rise to the line follows what is a mostly downhill home straight. Viewing is general reasonable although the field an disappear in clouds of dust (summer) or sand (winter) when heading away from you. Proximity to the A1 means that road travel is much easier than rail.

Tiwaz, the sky god, smiles upon the finish of a chase at Sedgefield

SOUTHWELL: Is a flat, one mile oval inside the all-weather flat course. However, the large terraced areas in the stands makes for an excellent view even on a Saturday evening, with no obstructions in the middle. The jump track is quite narrow, so portable fences and hurdles are used and both types of race are run on the same ground - making for a quite cut up surface by the end of a wet day. It may be the placement of the fences or the way the races are run, but there seem to be plenty of failures to get round in the chases, so avoid suspect jumpers. The 'mini-fence' style hurdles discourage the occasional horse, but are not often a problem. Rolleston station is right next to the track, on the Newark to Nottingham line (or vice versa).

STRATFORD:  Is another course where the view is impaired by buildings in the middle of the track and also the design flaws of the new stand - the terracing is not nearly high enough. The next best vantage point is on the rise in the back straight, but this does exclude the winning line! However, when summer jumping begins, this is my local course, being resident in Surrey! As far as races go, it is quite tight and mostly level. The home straight is short but has two obstacles, so it is common to see jockeys make a move after three out - if your horse is struggling at that point, do not give up quite yet. At the station taxis are always in short supply and the course is about a mile and a half walk, which is only a disaster on a really hot day.

TAUNTON: Is set just outside the town, over the M5 and with a pleasant backdrop across the Blackdown Hills. The track is mostly flat but with a sudden drop in the back straight and a rise opposite it between the last two fences. Obviously a certain Mr Pipe has plenty of runners here as it is on his doorstep. The facilities are sufficient for a normal days, but can be a little overcrowded on an evening meeting. Being quite narrow, the safety limits prevent huge fields, but the ground can get very firm and thin them out further.

TOWCESTER: Even the racecard rejoices in what an absurd place this is to put a racecourse, especially in regard to the upward incline which dominates the last three-quarters of a mile. However, with the course being such a long way round, having the stands at the top of the hill helps the viewing no end. Needless to say, to be certain of getting home here, a horse would ideally be proven over much further at a normal track, and when it is soft there is no hiding place for the staminally compromised. The old wooden stand often got too full but it is now torn down having been a fire risk. The new, spaghetti western inspired building provides a decent vantage point from between the last fence and the winning post, and we await what will rise phoenix-like from the site of the old stand

UTTOXETER:  Has elevated itself to the borderline between a small and a big course, although the high prize-money days tend to revolve around a few key days that usually involve a big staying chase. As the crowds have risen, the viewing has suffered as the best vantage points get taken quickly and a variety of buildings, ads, caravan parks etc. lie in the middle of the course. These are mostly at the stands end, so the last three-quarters of a lap are not hidden. The stopgap solution is to stand on the grassy knoll by the second last fence - rifles not permitted. What does work surprisingly well is the way all the old wooden buildings around the parade ring have been turned into hospitality boxes and bars by going for an out-of-place alpine decor. In deep mid-winter it could inspire people to want to go skiing. The track itself is left-handed with easy turns, but the home not-very-straight is actually a gentle parabola from the final bend and horses that tend to jump even a little bit to the right are severely disadvantaged.

WARWICK: Has a large hill in the middle of the course, but there is an area of about three square yards from which all fences and hurdles are visible. What nefarious deeds were committed behind the hill before there were television pictures of every spot? The ascent occurs just after the winning line on what is an almost triangular course, so the overall profile is not of a testing venue. The facilities were being subject to a big overhaul  since I last visited, but the feedback since they opened has been generally positive.

WINCANTON: Does lay on some valuable races which attract small numbers of very good horses, but is basically a small country course at heart - on the big days the stands can get quite crowded. The last quarter of a mile or so is downhill, so a less taxing challenge of stamina is hard to find. The back straight is a long hilltop, which means the view of the action is a bit askew, but the runners can be silhouetted in a quite a spectacular manner on occasions. With one major chase sponsored by Hall & Woodhouse, the beer on course is well up to par.

WORCESTER: This is a nearly track in most aspects. The view is nearly good, as runners are hidden on the bend out of the home straight, and behind the canoe club/bar for those unable to get high enough in the nearly big enough stands. The fields tend to be nearly impossibly huge, and the ground is nearly reliably good, except when the proximity to the river and changeable weather messes up watering plans. The station is nearly on the doorstep, and the traffic in the middle of Worcester (the course is nearly in the centre of town) is nearly immobile on a Saturday. On the upside, the long straights and gentle turns attract some nice young horses, especially in bumpers.

THE LARGER CONCERNS

ASCOT: Looks very modern after the redevelopment, but is all a bit impersonal, and the distance between stands and track is still too far to feel involved. The train from London stops at about 14 million stations, so takes far longer than might be imagined for the location. Food and drink prices once inside are a rip-off, although not as bad as Wembley, and for the meeting at the end of March 2007, the local CAMRA branch combined their beer festival with a two day jump meeting. End result was decent beer and decent prices. The upside is that at a normal jumps meeting, there are more than enough facilities to go round, and the amphitheatre style parade ring does ensure a good view of the horses before the race for people of all shapes and sizes.

AINTREE: The one jumps course that I have not visited, although feedback from people who have says that it is nothing to get excited about, and only the atmosphere at the Grand National meeting carries the day. 

AYR: Only visited for the 1994 Scottish National. It was horrendously overcrowded. On any other day, it gives the impression that viewing and facilities would be fairly reasonable, and it has to be presumed that they have been refurbished in the mean time. Accessibility by any means other than car or flight to Prestwick does not seem to be great, but perhaps that is the result of not being able to track down all the options using the internet.

CHELTENHAM: Not to much can be added to what everyone already knows about Cheltenham: Cleeve Hill, Arkle statue by the parade ring, jumpers for goal posts. Alas, occasions where the place can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace are falling by the wayside - Pillar Chase day, Friday of November meeting - in the torrent of spin and marketing. With the bowl-like layout of the track, the viewing remains pretty good.

CHEPSTOW: A fine venue for anything other than watching racing, as the undulations in the straight cause the runners to disappear at regular intervals, and it is hard to get high enough to counteract this. Plus it is not easily reached by train, and most people get charged to cross the bridge to get there by road. And for a supposed big track, there are some fairly numpty races staged at regular intervals. Being a Northern Racing course, the beer choice is inevitably dreadful.

DONCASTER: Reopened after a huge overhaul in 2007 and I have not been since. Prior to this, the course was run with a pretty pompous attitude, but at least the viewing was OK once inside. I do have it on good authority that the new Tote Credit room is as sumptuous as can be found in the land.

HAYDOCK: A vast flat tract of land, which costs an inexplicably vast tract of cash to access for the purposes of watching horse racing. The course has recently tipped the balance of racing in favour of mediocre flat evening meetings, to boost the bar takings. Apparently, getiting people to engage with the horses and the racing is not on the agenda. Best avoided until the prices are more realistic and it remembers that it is a race course, not a pub.

KEMPTON: Looked to be going the Haydock way, but the laying of an all-weather flat course worked in jumping's favour, as this track is now nearest the stands, improving the ambience, view and generally letting people get more involved. Apart from Christmas, crowds for Kempton are not what they should be, as it is a perfectly decent track. Perhaps it is another that suffers from the overly long train journey to cover a fairly small distance? There are plenty of food and drink outlets, but very limited pub options within walking distance.

NEWBURY: One of the better run large tracks, but the efficiency cannot overcome one big drawback. The stands are set a long way back from the running surface, and when the weather is bad and people need shelter it rather puts the kybosh on the atmosphere. Newbury Racecourse station is right by the track, but is often excluded from any special ticket deals available. Newbury station is not, and sits a mere ten minutes walk away - visible from the racecourse station. You can be caught out by the bars shutting at the off of the last race - kind of odd in the midst of winter when this is just after 3.00 pm - but there is a good choice of food outlets, and usually the Hogs Back brewery have a stall as well.

NEWCASTLE: Only visited once, for a nondescript May evening meeting. A big venue means plenty of room on the quieter days, but the raised land in the middle of the track does mean that viewing needs to be from the upper tiers of the rather aged looking stands. Do not confuse it with Newcastle dogs, which can race on the same day.

SANDOWN: Good viewing from the hill top, lots of exciting finishes, even in small fields, backs on to Esher train station, Hogs Back brewery stall in the main hall, but a bit expensive to get in. On the whole it is a fairly pleasant venue, and the signage around the parade ring etc is at least trying to encourage people to think that there is more to do between races than just stand in the bar.

WETHERBY: Not unlike Sandown in many respects, but with the highest point less elevated from the rest of the course. Every time I have been there, the far bend has been shrouded in mist, and it will be interesting to see if that is still the case now that the old bend is part of the A1 - will the fog follow the new course layout? For the decent standard of racing there, it is traditionally fairly cheap on admission, but these things tend only to last until someone in power realises it!