Major Events

Ayr Racecourse

2 Whitletts Road

Ayr

KA8 OJE

http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

The two day Coral Scottish Grand National Festival is Scotland's richest jumps meeting and the home of the Scottish equivalent of the Grand National chase. Held shortly after the Grand National, the 4m1f race often attracts many of the leading performers from Aintree, though only the great Red Rum has managed to win both races in the same year, back in 1974. Crowds of more than 20,000 will descend on Ayr for one of the most exciting spectacles in racing with 28 of the country's top long distance chasers battling it out over four miles and half a furlong of the famous Ayr track. Some of the greatest names in horse racing - both human and equine - have won the race and people come from all over the UK and Ireland to attend the meeting where the atmosphere is electric.

Sandown Park Racecourse

Portsmouth Road

Esher

Surrey

KT10 9AJ

http://www.sandown.co.uk

The bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park has always held a special place as the last big race of the National Hunt season - staged as part of a mixed Jumps/Flat raceday which symbolises the transition from winter to summer.

This popular and exciting raceday has an end-of-season party atmosphere, especially with the recent introduction of an awards ceremony to honour the top performers of the jumps season.

The big race offers a final opportunity for the top staying chasers to prove their courage and class over three miles and five furlongs around Sandown's famous course.

The atmosphere is always electric as the horses battle up the final hill to the winning post and it is no surprise that Sandown is regularly voted one of Britain’s top racing venues.

The race has produced some of the most memorable moments in jump racing history, including Arkle's famous weight-carrying win in 1965, when he shouldered 12st 7lb and became the only horse to complete the Cheltenham Gold Cup-Sandown Gold Cup double in the same year.

Other illustrious winners include the Queen Mother's Special Cargo, who won by two short-heads in 1984, and Desert Orchid (1988).

There is high-class Flat racing too, with the Group 2 Sandown Mile and the Group 3 bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes over 10 furlongs.

Newmarket Racecourse Office

Westfield House

Cambridge Road

Newmarket, Suffolk

CB8 0TG

http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/index.html

One of the most glamorous dates in the international racing calendar as top owners, trainers and jockeys compete for the first two Classics of the British Flat racing season.

There is always an expectant buzz on the famous Newmarket Heath as racegoers gather in the hope of witnessing the emergence of two bright new stars. This is history in the making and the sense of anticipation is palpable.

The 2,000 Guineas leads the way on day one, with the top colts doing battle over the historic Rowley Mile course. This is where the greats have proved themselves – legends such as Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard, Dancing Brave, Nashwan and in 2009...Sea The Stars are on the roll of honour.

It is the turn of the fillies on the second day in the 1,000 Guineas, run over the same straight mile. Like the colts’ equivalent, this race often produces a star miler – well-loved fillies such as Pebbles, Miesque, Salsabil and Russian Rhythm have triumphed over the years.

There is a first-class supporting card on both days, including the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes for older horses over a mile and a half and the Group 3 Palace House Stakes for sprinters.

The Racecourse

Chester

Cheshire

CH1 2LY

http://www.chester-races.co.uk

Chester is a truly unique racecourse and the prestigious May meeting is the biggest event in its racing calendar.

There is something for everyone at Chester, with socialites, serious racegoers and one-off visitors gathering to enjoy top-class racing in a convivial atmosphere. Known as the Roodee, Chester is the oldest racecourse in Britain, and has staged racing since Roman times.

The whole setting is marvellous – the track is just a short walk from the historic city centre and bordered by the ancient city walls, a popular viewpoint for the races.

The course itself is barely a mile round and has very tight turns, making it a demanding test for horses and jockeys and one of the most exciting spectacles in British racing.

The meeting stages some of the most important Classic trials – the Dee Stakes and Chester Vase for colts and the Cheshire Oaks for fillies. Derby winners Oath (1999) and Kris Kin (2003) are among those to have used Chester as a stepping stone to greater glory.

The meeting is also famous for the Chester Cup, one of the most important staying handicaps of the year, which always attracts a large field for its dizzying two and a quarter miles around the Roodee.

United Racecourse (Holdings) Limited

The Grandstand

Epsom Downs

Surrey

KT18 5LQ

http://www.epsomderby.co.uk

Much copied but never bettered, the Derby at Epsom is famed throughout the world as one of racing’s greatest spectacles. First run in 1780, the race is known as the Blue Riband of the Turf and is probably the most coveted prize in the sport.

Derby Day provides an unforgettable experience every year. Set high on the Downs, Epsom racecourse is regarded as the ultimate test of the three-year-old Thoroughbred. Runners require an abundance of speed, stamina and balance to cope with the unique undulations of the horseshoe-shaped course.

This is the place where legends were made – the consummate skill of Lester Piggott’s unrivalled nine wins, the brilliant training feats of Vincent O’Brien, the elegance of great winners such as Sea-Bird, Nijinsky, Mill Reef and, in 2009...Sea The Stars.

The occasion attracts a diverse crowd of more than 100,000 people, from royalty and famous celebrities bedecked in traditional morning suits and stunning dresses, to gypsies handing out good-luck charms, to partygoers on the famous Hill in the centre of the course.

The Derby buzz has returned in recent years – not least on the Hill, where fairground attractions, live music and open-top bus parties create a magical atmosphere.

As well as the Derby, of course, there is the Oaks – the fillies’ equivalent on the opening day of the meeting. The Coronation Cup, for older horses over the Derby/Oaks course, is the third Group 1 race of the meeting, also on day one.

Top-class racing, history in the making, all the fun of the fair – it doesn’t come any better than this.

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot

Berkshire

SL5 7JX

http://www.ascot.co.uk

The five-day Royal Ascot meeting is the jewel in the crown of the English summer season, mixing top-class racing and high fashion in a glittering social occasion.

With a total of 15 Group races, including at least one Group 1 event on each day, and over £3.5 million in prize-money on offer, the standard of the horseracing is simply outstanding. For sheer quality over five days, it is unmatched anywhere in the world.

The traditional highlight is the Gold Cup on Thursday, run over two and a half miles on day three, but the modern emphasis on speed has given top billing to the St James’s Palace Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Coronation Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Royal Ascot is famous for much more than horseracing, of course. It is one of the highlights of the British social ‘season’, which includes other sporting traditions such as Henley and Wimbledon. Morning suits and top hats are obligatory for gentlemen in the Royal Enclosure while ladies must wear a hat.

The meeting is attended daily by Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British Royal family, continuing a tradition stretching back to the early 1700s, when the racecourse was conceived by Queen Anne in 1711. The royal coach procession down the course before racing begins is one of the daily highlights.

With facilities to match the high standards of dress and racing, Royal Ascot is one of the ultimate racing experiences.

Sandown Park Racecourse

Portsmouth Road

Esher

Surrey

KT10 9AJ

http://www.sandown.co.uk

The Coral-Eclipse is one of the most coveted prizes in the British Flat racing season and the showpiece Flat racing event of the year at Sandown, where first-class facilities, a wonderful atmosphere and great sport combine to produce a truly memorable day out.

The 10-furlong Coral-Eclipse is the first top-level contest over middle distances for three-year-olds against their seniors and usually brings together an intriguing mix of milers, specialist 10-furlong horses and confirmed stayers.

The clash of styles is one of the Eclipse’s most appealing facets – who can forget Dancing Brave proving himself a champion after his Derby defeat in 1986, or dual winner Mtoto out pointing Derby hero Reference Point the following year, or Mill Reef (1971) and Nashwan (1989) dropping back in trip to add to their Derby victories?

Most recently in 2009 the great Sea The Stars conquered here at Sandown

Coral Eclipse day is a great social occasion, and many racegoers enjoy dressing-up!

Newmarket Racecourse Office

Westfield House

Cambridge Road

Newmarket, Suffolk

CB8 0TG

http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/index.html

Newmarket’s July meeting is one of the best-loved summer festivals in the British racing calendar, featuring top-class sport in a beautiful and timeless setting.

Unlike Newmarket’s other showpiece meetings, this three-day fixture takes place on the distinctive July course - home to all of the town's summer race meetings.

The highlight of the July Festival is the six-furlong Darley July Cup, which is one of the main contests in the battle for the European sprint crown. The Group 1 race has an illustrious history and attracts runners from around the globe – in recent years, Agnes World (2000) has made history as the first Japanese-trained Group 1 winner on British soil, Mozart (2001) and Stravinsky (1999) have won for Ireland, Anabaa (1996) has taken the prize back to France, and in 2003 Australian star Choisir was foiled narrowly by British champion Oasis Dream.

Other top races include a host of Group 2 events - the Cherry Hinton Stakes and July Stakes for two-year-olds, the mile-and-a-half Princess of Wales’s Stakes and the Falmouth Stakes over a mile for fillies.

Thatched-roofed buildings and tree-lined public areas, with open-air bars, make the July course a delightful summer venue. The meeting has a garden-party atmosphere and, like the other major British meetings, there is a strong sense of fashion. The first day is Ladies Day, the ideal occasion to dress in style.

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot

Berkshire

SL5 7JX

http://www.ascot.co.uk

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth day is another sparkling jewel in Ascot’s glorious summer season and, like Royal Ascot, provides an unmissable sporting and social occasion.

The feature race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes – which stands alongside the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as one of Europe’s all-aged middle-distance championship races.

First run in 1951 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace and the 1951 Festival of Britain, the King George has produced some of the defining moments in British racing history.

Perhaps most famously, the 1975 edition was dubbed ‘The Race of The Century’ after Derby winner Grundy beat his courageous rival Bustino in a time of 2min 26.98sec – a record that still stands today.

Other top-class winners include Ribot in the 1950s, Royal Palace in the ’60s, Brigadier Gerard and Dahlia in the vintage ’70s, Dancing Brave and Nashwan in the ’80s, and Hurricane Run and Duke of Marmalade in recent years.

There is also a top-class supporting card, including the ultra-competitive International Handicap, the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the highly-prized ladies’ race.

Goodwood Racecourse

Goodwood

West Sussex

PO18 0PS

http://www.goodwood.co.uk/site/content/horseracing/Default.aspx

If any racecourse deserves the epithet 'glorious', then surely it is Goodwood. Top-class racing, beautiful scenery and a marvellous atmosphere combine to make the course's showpiece five-day meeting one of the highlights of the racing year.

Perched on top of the Sussex Downs, Goodwood is arguably the most beautiful racecourse in Britain, if not the world. The Downs provide a breathtaking backdrop as the horses loop around the undulating course before making the final sprint to the winning post.

The racing is highly competitive across the full range of distances, from the Goodwood Cup for stayers to the Stewards' Cup for sprint handicappers. There are two Group 1 races - the Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes - while the leading juveniles get their chance in the Richmond, Vintage and Molecomb Stakes. In addition, the Group 3 Gordon Stakes is a highly informative trial for the St Leger.

While the racing is ever more international, Glorious Goodwood has retained a quintessential British charm since the course was first laid out in 1801. Like the other major summer meetings, it is noted for its fashion, though 'relaxed chic' is the order of the day. Royal Ascot's top hats give way to the Panama hat, one of the enduring symbols of a summer's day at Goodwood races.

The facilities match the setting, too, with Goodwood's acclaimed new grandstand affording superb views and a host of bars and restaurants catering for every taste.

It is easy to understand why so many racegoers mark down Glorious Goodwood week as an annual holiday.

The Racecourse

York

YO23 1EX

http://www.yorkracecourse.co.uk

Known as ‘the Ascot of the north’, York offers the same mixture of top-class racing and eye-catching fashion at its showpiece Ebor meeting.

Hugely popular with owners, trainers, jockeys and racegoers alike, York always attracts the best horses for a packed three-day programme.

The highlight is the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes. The mile-and-a-quarter race has been won in recent years by Sea The Stars (2009), Duke of Marmalade (2008), Authorized (2007), Notnowcato (2006) and Electrocutionist (2005)

The Group 1 Victor Chandler Nunthorpe Stakes, run over the straight five furlongs, is one of the main battlegrounds for the European sprint crown, while the Group 1 Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks brings together many of the leading three-year-old fillies over the classic mile-and-a-half distance.

There are three Group 2 contests. The Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes and Jaguar Lowther Stakes are big targets for the leading juvenile colts and fillies respectively, while the Daily Telegraph Great Voltigeur Stakes is one of the main trials for the following month’s St Leger.

The meeting also features Britain’s richest handicap, the totesport-Ebor, over the marathon trip of a mile and three-quarters. Ebor derives from the Roman name for York (Eboracum) and the city can trace its racing roots back to Roman times, with the first modern meeting taking place in 1754. Regularly voted by racegoers as one of Britain’s top tracks, York’s facilities are second to none and the traditional warm Yorkshire welcome makes any visit to the track a real treat

Doncaster Racecourse

Leger Way

Doncaster

DN2 6BB

http://www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk

The St Leger is the world’s oldest Classic, with a rich history dating back to 1776, and has returned to the newly developed state-of-the-art Doncaster racecourse. Like Epsom on Derby Day, there is an aura about St Leger Day which continues to exert a special pull for racing enthusiasts from around the world.

The Group 1 St Leger is the only Classic run in the north of England, annually proving one of the most popular days out for the racing-mad Yorkshire public.

As the fifth and final British Classic of the year, it provides the last great test of the season for the three-year-old generation. While the other Classics have separate versions for colts and fillies, the St Leger brings together the best of each sex – just one of the factors which give the race its unique appeal.

Another reason is the race’s distance – one mile, six furlongs and 132 yards. In the modern era of speed-obsessed racing, the St Leger provides an unusual and fascinating examination of a horse’s staying power and determination.

Doncaster’s first class facilities will offer racegoers a thoroughly modern sporting day out. The grandstands are comfortable and offer great viewing, while the paddock is perfectly situated to allow racegoers to see the runners at close quarters.

Ayr Racecourse

2 Whitletts Road

Ayr

KA8 OJE

http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

The most prestigious Flat meeting in Scotland and one of the most popular in the whole racing calendar, attracting racegoers from far and near.

Ayr is renowned for its warm and friendly atmosphere, and its popularity with trainers and owners ensures that the racing is always ultra-competitive.

The six-furlong William Hill Ayr Gold Cup, the feature race of the three-day meeting, is one of the season’s most sought-after sprint handicaps. A sign of the Gold Cup’s high standing is that successful trainers such as David Chapman and Jack Berry have described winning the race as one of the highlights of their careers.

The huge number of entries for the Gold Cup has spawned the William Hill Silver Cup for those horses which fail to make the cut for the main event. Run on the Friday over the same distance, the Silver Cup is now a major prize in its own right and just as competitive as its big brother.

The highlight of the first day is the Harry Rosebery Stakes, a five-furlong race for two-year-olds, which is another highly prized event for the region’s trainers.

The Gold Cup draws a big crowd on the Saturday, producing a wonderful atmosphere. Indeed, the whole week is a major social event, with many visitors taking the opportunity to combine the racing with golf or other relaxation along the marvellous west coast of Scotland.

Newmarket Racecourse Office

Westfield House

Cambridge Road

Newmarket, Suffolk

CB8 0TG

http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/index.html

The Cambridgeshire meeting marks the return to the Rowley Mile racecourse for the big autumn events and, like Newmarket’s other major fixtures, offers compelling racing at one of Britain’s best and most historic venues.

Quality is the watchword on all three days. Thursday features the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs, one of the major end-of-season championship races for two-year-old fillies. The card also includes the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes, another well-established race for the leading juveniles, run over seven furlongs.

Friday features the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, run over the same distance as the Cheveley Park but this time giving the top two-year-old colts their chance to stake a claim for championship honours. The Group 3 Joel Stakes, over a mile, is also on the programme.

Saturday’s card includes the nine-furlong Cambridgeshire, one of the best-known and most competitive handicaps of the year. The race is the first leg of the Autumn Double at Newmarket, which is completed by the marathon Cesarewitch on Champions Day later in the month, and is a highly-prized event.

The programme also includes two important fillies’ races - the Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile and the Oh So Sharp Stakes, another key event for the leading juveniles.

Newmarket Racecourse Office

Westfield House

Cambridge Road

Newmarket, Suffolk

CB8 0TG

http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/index.html

This two day meeting offers the very best in Flat racing. The focal point is Champions Day, which boasts six Group races and more than £1m in prize-money.

This is as good as it gets in a single day’s racing, attracting the international cream of the crop for a grand finale as the European season nears its close.

The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is the main event. It is the last European Group 1 race of the year over a mile and a quarter and always attracts a top-class field, with championship honours still up for grabs.

The Darley Dewhurst Stakes, the day’s other Group 1 race, also plays a major role in identifying an overall champion – in this case, the top two-year-old colt of the season. The race is the main testing ground for the following year’s 2,000 Guineas hopefuls.

Champions Day also features two Group 2 races – the seven-furlong Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes and the Owen Brown Rockfel Stakes, run over the same distance and an important end-of-season test for two-year-old fillies.

The Group 3 events are the Newmarket Darley Stakes and the Jockey Club Cup for stayers, while, last but not least, is the Tote Cesarewitch – the last of the season’s great staying handicaps. Run over the marathon distance of 2m2f, the Cesarewitch is famous as the only race to be held in two counties, crossing from Cambridgeshire into Suffolk during running.