Home to the oldest British Classic, the St Leger, Doncaster offers top quality action on the Flat and over the sticks. Well known for its excellent drainage, the ground rarely turns testing putting the emphasis on basic speed rather than stamina. The four-day St Leger Meeting in September is one of the most popular Festivals and features a clutch of Group and Listed races. Over the jumps, the Skybet Chase in January is always a competitive affair and remains one of the highlights of the National Hunt season.

George and two-time Gold Cup winner Kauto Star used to frequent the course in the early part of his season at the “festival of racing” meeting, which is becoming increasingly popular. A right-handed, undulating course which could be described as “galloping” given it is 1m7f in circumference, Down Royal presents a true test of a horse’s ability. The “Summer Festival” and the November “Festival Of Racing” over the jumps attract a big crowd and rightly so, as top class racing and top class facilities goes hand-in-hand with lots of people enjoying themselves.

Downpatrick is Ireland’s oldest course, with beginning here in 1645. The term “horses for courses” certainly applies at Downpatrick, a trappy right-handed course in County Down which has ups and downs and dips and curves aplenty and is a test for both horse and punter. It suits nippy and well-balanced horses who can jump well at speed, as if they don’t the contest can quickly get away from them. It’s quirks aside, Downpatrick is known to be one of the friendliest courses in the country and is set in a beautiful part of Northern Ireland. A strong racing community around here love their local track, where the calendar highlight is the Powers Whiskey Ulster National in Febru

of the Irish racing jigsaw puzzle and it is hard to think that before 2007 when it opened, there wasn’t a facility like it – in fact, it is the only venue in the world which combines both horse and greyhound racing. Now, flat and some jump horses utilise the all-weather track for preparation runs where many courses may not have ideal ground or races, along with the course having a strong program for the poly-track specialists and regulars. The track is a left-handed, flat oval of 10 furlongs, with a 5 furlong sprint track adjoining the home straight. It is known to be a very fair course, if a little sharp off the home bend – but once they straighten up there is ample distance for any horse to put themselves in with a chance.

recognised as the most famous horse race in the world. Quite probably the most unusual and testing Flat racing track on the planet, the twelve-furlong Derby trip provides a roller-coaster ride, most notably the turn into the most famous bend in racing, Tattenham Corner.

standard of racing is above average, principally due to its location close to a number of powerful National Hunt stables and it has proven a particularly good track for stables to unleash some of their better novice chase prospects. With a friendly atmosphere and beautiful setting, Exeter attracts a knowledgeable audience and their highlight is the Haldon Gold Cup held in November.

The home of the Irish Grand National, one of the biggest tests of horse and jockey and a 250,00 Euro spectacle which is the highlight of a fantastic Easter meeting every year which boasts top class racing. So many great horses have graced the turf down the years here, not least the legendary Desert Orchid, who won the Irish Grand National here in 1990 off a welter burden of twelve stone. A dual-purpose course, Fairyhouse is a proper Grade 1 track. Just over 1m6f in length, it is right-handed with a fairly stiff uphill finish at the end of a three furlong home straight. Many a titanic battle has been won and lost up this strip of grass, and long may there be many more. For the race-goer, Fairyhouse is everything you’d expect from a course of its considerable stature and leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of excellence.

Fakenham is a small, rural course that holds National Hunt meetings across the year. A sharp, left-handed track, this course definitely suits the nippy sorts that are sufficiently nimble to deal with corners and bends. A very popular venue with the locals, particularly the Bank Holiday fixture in April which attracts a decent-sized crowd. The going rarely turns heavy.

Ffos Las is the UK’s newest racecourse and has been something of a success story. A flat, fairly galloping left-handed course of around 1m 4f long, it hosts both national hunt and flat racing fixtures throughout the year.

An extremely popular National Hunt track with more than a modicum of charm, Fontwell is one of only two racecourses run over a figure-of-eight circuit. Total refurbishment of all grandstands began in 1998 resulting in vastly improved facilities for racegoers. Punters are provided with the rare option of viewing races from inside the course, an up-close and personal encounter with the racing action for sure.

Put simply, the Galway festival is Ireland’s biggest annual sporting event. Much like the Melbourne Cup does in Australia, the Galway Festival brings the west coast and much of the country to a standstill as people flock to Ballybrit in search of experiencing something truly unique to Ireland. Galway races are evident all year round, but the seven day extravaganza which begins at the end of July, trumps the other meetings at not only Galway, but pretty much everywhere else in the country. The track itself is more or less rectangular in shape and is a sharp, right-handed course with a two furlong uphill finish. The Galway Hurdle is the biggest race at the festival is worth 260,000 Euro to the winner, although the Galway Plate isn’t far behind in terms of stature. Galway is a course to enjoy at any time but for the festival just take a day or two off – pull a sickie, do what you must, but at some stage you must go to Galway to experience the truly outstanding festival.

One of the most popular tracks in the country, Goodwood hosts numerous top-class races during the summer. The summer fixture, known as Glorious Goodwood, features five days of top-class action including the Group 1 Sussex Stakes amongst a clutch of pattern races and top-quality handicaps. The track is undulating and favours horses that race close to the pace, particularly on the round course as the field are racing around a gradual bend for much of the contest.

Gowran Park is a top Grade 1 track in County Kilkenny and first held a horse race way back in 1914. The first televised Irish race was held here in 1969 and the course is best known for the Thyestes Chase. It is a right-handed course and is one mile and four furlongs in lengths, undulating with a run-in of three furlongs and an uphill climb to the finishing post. The Kilkenny and Carlow are is littered with many training establishments and this course centralises what can be described as “horse racing country” outside of the main spiritual home of racing in nearby Kildare. Gowran Park has great facilities for racing fans and fixtures run all year round over the jumps and the flat.

Based close to the premier training establishment of Newmarket, Yarmouth is never short on quality and many classic winners have used this course as part of their education. Provides holiday-makers with an ideal opportunity to combine a trip to the seaside with a day at the races. Being a flat track, galloping in nature, big, long-striding horses are particularly well suited to the test this course offers.

Hamilton is a small track that has witnessed many improvements in recent years and its meetings are particularly well attended. The going tends to be on the soft side during the early-season fixtures and runners generally stick to the far rail. Hamilton is just fifteen minutes from Glasgow and is a regular haunt for all of the top northern trainers.

Haydock Park is one of the finest racecourses in the country and the premier year-round track in the North. On the Flat, the highlight is the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup in early September whereas the National Hunt season features the valuable Grand National Trial, formerly the ‘Red Square Vodka’ Gold Cup in February and a host of other top-class three mile chases. Both courses suit the long-striding, galloping individuals, particularly when the ground rides on the soft side, which is often the case.

trained course specialists. The weather may not always be the best here but the stunning scenery more than compensates.

A tight, right-handed track with some tricky obstacles to negotiate, Huntingdon undoubtedly favours those horses that have the ability to lie handy. The Open Ditch directly in front of the stands provides a real speactacle for racegoers. The highlight of their season is the Peterborough Chase, a two and a half mile contest in November that attracts leading two and three-mile chasers. The course stages many excellent meetings per year. Another recently introduced race is the Mascot’s Grand National in September, a fun race designed for football club mascots in full costume which attracts plenty of coverage.