Next racecourse to close!

Goodwood  Nap

A  two  bottle  of  wine  course

ally paly

I was born in and went to school in Lanark.When the track closed in the early 1970s it was said that it was on account of the low attendances,yet they used to get circa 4000.How many small tracks get these numbers mid-week nowadays?It was claimed at the time that the reason for the decline in the numbers was because of the closure of the racecourse railway station(which is on the line from Glasgow and Motherwell).

Anyway,I saw a dual Ascot Gold Cup winner win at Lanark and also a St.James Palace Stakes winner,these after their Ascot wins.The Lanark Silver Bell is reputed to be the World's oldest racing trophy still in existence.Such a shame that the track was closed.

Meanwhile,British racecourses need to something about their rip-off entrance costs and food and drink prices.

Isn't Lanark racecourse still there ( not built on that is )?

can't see ffos being long term viable, worcester with its flood troubles might be iffy as well

as it's a pit anyway it should close, hate the place

Has Fakenham gone?

I am glad Folkestone closed it was dire.

Fakenham still there. West Norfolk Hunt has gone.

had my first runner at folkstone

Yes it's still there as far as I know.They've held point to point meetings using portable fences and trotting races,though the stands have been closed for safety reasons.

Lanark,of course.

Its actually far more exciting and enjoyable going to point to point meetings
than proper tracks.I went to one just off the A1 the finishing line was up
a one in three incline what a laugh but great spectacle.

Was nothing wrong with Folkestone, was a grade 4 course, so what would you expect facilities wise...?

Had many a good afternoon there both flat and nh, obviously depends on your level of expectancy as to whether you were able to enjoy the experience

I would expect the next one to close would be an Arc course, probably Bath.  If I had to choose one myself to close down it would be Worcester.

Fakenham is still there.

Wisbech Dog track is now a Tescos

Would like to see a dozen close and reduced fixture list under both codes , only way the sport will survive going forward .

WOULD A STOP RIPPING YOUR CUSTOMERS OFF AND TREATING THEM WITH UTTER CONTEMPT NOT HELP???

£2 FOR A CUP OF TEA YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF

Chepstow and Worcester both awful places to go racing.Not that keen on Bath either but not as bad as the two mentioned.

Besides low attendances, the other side of the equation is the value of the land for housing. Sandown would probably be worth a fortune (new 6-bed houses at a couple of million each) so it is lucky the JC owns the place. Worcester floods too easily, I'd have thought.

If one is about to close my prediction is that one of the big three will try to buy it, now that the precedent has been set, and Fred has got his hands on Great Leighs Colchester.

It's all about control, for the bookmaking industry, and sitting on both sides of the table, engineering decisions for racing that are bad for the sport but good for themselves, is absolutely a part of the long term game plan.

Check out greyhound racing now, if you want a glimpse of racing's future, imo...

Next racecourse ever to reopen - Yarmouth

breedingmad

you could not have been to Folkestone.


don't understand why people don't like Worcester always gets runners fair track.

millhouse 1616 post I should think will prove very accurate.

Salmon -re your 13.39 post, I know you are showing off to the young un's, but Fakenham and West Norfolk Hunt are pretty much synonymous, The course switch took place in 1905 and Fakers was know as WNH until at least the early sixties.

elisie

was it a jumper or flat your first runner ?

warwick

1st nh run foxy

Great Leighs is Chelmsford not Colchester

elise do you prefer having jumpers or flat ?



tom tom warwick no chance this will be a very strong racecourse in the near future.

initially it was jumps because that was where my initial love of racing started, but over time i think i preferred flat racing as an owner

its amazing the love we get out of national hunt racing I think we start with jumps go along with the flat for a few years then in the end go back to the jumpers,ive been to newbury today would much sooner have been stood in the rain at plumpton or fontwell.

Something has to be done about the small field sizes especially handicap and novice chases and if closing a few courses and reducing a few fixtures then I'm all for it. Plenty of the courses are $hitholes - Towcester, Sedgefield, Fakenham to name a few.

no there not.
each has its own attraction in terms of the setting and atmosphere
I am surprised that anyone who enjoys a day out racing wants to see any racecourses close tbh
what facilities do you expect at a country course ffs ?
five star hotel luxury and panoramic stateof the art grandstands with private boxes abd carpeted interiors no doubt

i am with eastofeden here why want any to shut ? the new Doncaster is not a course I like much anymore although you cant fault the racing it puts on both flat and jumps,perth is another I am not to keen on and I find Kempton soulless nowadays other than boxing day but still hope to see all 3 still going in many years to come,some of the courses people are putting up on this thread I can only presume they have not visited them.

Anyone who says Towcester is a khazi hasn't been in the last 10 years or so since the redevelopment.

absouletly

@foxy -- don't understand why people don't like Worcester always gets runners fair track.

Worcester is a very nice course when it is not under six feet of water. Since it does flood whenever Carol Kirkwood clears her throat, it is unlikely to be sold off for housing, so there is a silver lining. Puntingwise for me, it's a bit meh.

ramruma

the ironic thing about Worcester is after watching the sailors sailing past the winning post for most of the winter they had to water before there first meeting of the season.

take your point about the housing.

YARMOUTH racecourse is to shut for nine months for track repairs with the loss of around seven fixtures, owner Arena Racing Company has announced.

The Norfolk track will close temporarily after its flagship three-day Eastern festival in September, when work to level the home straight will commence.

Arc racing director Jim Allen moved to make reassurances over the future of the track. He said: "We're very committed to Yarmouth and its future is 100 per cent certain. We've started to improve the race programme and hopefully that will continue."

After a review by Professional Sportsturf Design, repair work will lead to the topsoil being removed, a re-grade of the subsoil to give a level base and then replacement of the topsoil.

Allen explained: "It isn't anything that's happened in the last year or so, it's probably something that's happened over the past 50 years or longer. Naas has just done a similar project in Ireland. And when Arena Leisure shut Doncaster to do the refurbishment it did a similar project to the track there.

"Last year when the ground was quite firm as the result of the hot summer, a few trainers asked if we could do something about it."

Yarmouth will lose two meetings in October and, based on this year's fixture list, three in April and two in May. The course also holds five fixtures in June this year, although Allen says the course was scheduled to have reopened by then.

He added: "The British weather will determine when it reopens as the work will be carried out in September and it is dependent on exactly how warm the winter is. We'll be covering the track to make sure the grass grows quicker but it will definitely re-open at the latest in June."

Newmarket trainer William Haggas said: "The ridges are something the jockeys have complained about and at least this scheme shows they are committed to racing at Yarmouth."

haggas said on channel 4 last year no one would care if yarmouth shut, as it was betting shop rubbish

even marks and sparks are pulling the plug, best of the luck to the 10,000+ immigrants that have been welcomed in the town who enjoy shopping in poundland,  and to soon have there very own primark in the old m&s building.  Nice to see many over them overtake my favoutie bar on the back of britaniia pier on a saturday night thou some of them russian girls are amazing.

Fakenham is a lovely country course & Towcester is a brilliant day out and is free to get in for 80% of meetings. What more do you want? Jam on it?

fakenham does well always well attended

you just freeze to death there

Agree with positive comments about Fakenham. Busy, good viewing, fantastic food stalls selling proper home made goodies at a fair price. Sedgefield and Kelso could be contenders for next to fall, although it's about time Hereford was reprieved.

kempton with a bit of luck

I just wish ARC would close with those horrible PR people (Kate someone) telling lies all the time and the Reuben brothers just hoping everyone will lose interest. Horrible, horrible outfit!

i would not miss any 'arc ' racecourse and would not pay to see any of the peanuts prize money rubbish they put on 90% of the time .

Windsor knot

would you not miss the st leger ?

Norfolk m

when was that Yarmouth statement made ?

Folkestone would re-open with a new track if the local council would give planning permission for a number of houses on part of the track. And why not?

very good question I am very disappointed in the lack of effort Folkestone council have made to secure the future of this wonderful racecourse.

foxy , i like the leger as a race and that  donny meet  is probably  the 10% of quality ,but i'm no fan of that track at all. will be off to york tom though !

Windsor knot

I use to prefer Doncaster to York until they built that horrible stand they now have,this years York fixture looks stronger than in recent years lets hope the weather doesn't spoil it.

Folkestone was always well supported, sad it closed, plenty of holiday sites down there as well,
on the very rare sat and sunday meetings it was banged out, and they liked a good bet as well.

they certainly didI believe they had a banded Saturday card a few years ago the place was very busy.

Kelso, Hexham,Cartmel,Fakenham, and Sedgefield are the best courses on the circuit ,and I doubt those predicting their imminent demise have ever set foot.
Fontwell & Plumpton top of my list

Kelso, Hexham,Cartmel,Fakenham, and Sedgefield are the best courses on the circuit ,and I doubt those predicting their imminent demise have ever set foot.
Fontwell & Plumpton top of my list

TOWCESTER is a really beautiful course with a fabulous stand and great viewing from thye grandstand. also with the finish resembling the north face of K2 makes for great slow motion finishes from the usual 0-90 rated carthorses.

Close..Kempton flat AW
Fos Las
Redcar
and..
no AW racing from 1st may until 1st nov
no jump racing in june and july.
spread that prize money around,
take 10% prize money from all group 1
group 2 and classics and spread that around
the class 3-4-5-6 races.
only 2 top class meetings on a saturday
instead of 4, have the others in the week.
Derby back to a wednesday.
betting shops  must take 50% more over the counter per week
than on FOBTS,otherwise they lose the FOBTS.
and online bookies must lay every punter to lose £250 min.
No discriminating.

Rothman...been to all on your list except Cartmel. Definitely can't have Kelso as even half decent. Bookies behind the stand?? What's that all about??

If attendances at Musselburgh (except for ladies day and other "specials") do not improve, I think it could be in trouble. The betting ring is dead this year.

Arena will soon close another course and steal all the fixtures for Southwell and Wolverhampton,just like they did with Hereford.

Sedgefield car boot will keep it going for a few years & to be honest there's not much chance of getting planning permission to build on it.Of the n.east ones mentioned Redcar has got to be the fav.This is prime building land.

no one has mentioned Bangor, I hope it closes down due to the awful viewing postion, rip off entrance fees, Bangor bet, etc

no chance fontwell the new stand is the biggest investment arc have so far made.

call it a day

you are the first person I have ever known not to like kelso other than bookies behind the stands what else didn't you like ?

If Chester get go ahead for jumps racing, Bangor is a gonner for sure

Not sure why people dislike Fontwell. It's a nice little course with generally excellent viewing.

Worcester isn't a bad course either, good view all the way around from the stand.

I ACTUALLY LAID A FELLA 100-10 THAT YARMOUTH WONT OPEN AGAIN WHEN THEY SHUT IN SEPTEMBER

Foxy.
Kelso looked so drab, lacking atmosphere. And it's miles from anywhere...! Fair play, however, it's better than Bath.(But the Welsh turn up there in droves and will probably keep it afloat.)

Fook me, has Skinto found another alias to post under? Using CAP LOCKS to try and put the BF Mod Hounds off him?

Skinto/Norfolk/Cashless - triple whammy w@nkers

call it a day

it sure is a long way from anywhere but ive always found it fine,a bit of character about the place and decent racing.

dr gonzo

well done on Tuesday night.

Big_Issue • August 20, 2014 2:56 PM BST
Fook me, has Skinto found another alias to post under? Using CAP LOCKS to try and put the BF Mod Hounds off him?
Skinto/Norfolk/Cashless - triple whammy w@nkers

Charming!

Kelso is a good gaff & won't be on the short-list for closure

Many years ago the 9th Duke of Roxburghe was trying to get Flat racing at Kelso. Even as a Jockey Club Bigwig he could not succeed.
Perhaps if he had succeeded the present Duke's Filly Attraction might have made her debut there.
I once asked Freddie Williams why it was the only Scottish course he did not go to. He said that the roads to there were so bad that they ruined his tyres.
Re Worcester is there not one part where the runners are lost behind a building on the far side?

Top of the list should be those racecourses where the horses disappear from view for long stretches when watching from the Grandstand - Exeter, Warwick, Pontefract & Doncaster to name but 4 (Cartmel gets dispensation because no one goes there to watch the racing). Also vulnerable should be those tracks that offer only a head on view of the finishing straight - Bangor & Newmarket.  Last but not least, Leicester & Southwell are the two worst tracks that I've visited with not a single redeeming feature between them.

From my fading memory at the old Hurst Park course the runners used to disappear behind the grandstand in some races.

Before I moved back up to Gods country in the sunny NE I used to love going to Fontwell and Plumpton, especially the latter. No fun days, stag/hen do's. Just proper racing enthusiasts.
Never liked Worcester and Uttoxeter and the worst days racing in my entire life was an early January meeting at Wolverhampton. First race 11.15, a non-stop blizzard, a total attendance of around 45 and three bookies cowering under the grandstand, **** themselves in case they had to lay a fiver on the 6-4 jolly.
Thoroughly soul-destroying and depressing fayre, come racing!!!!!!!

Thanks foxy. Did look out for you, but you obviously gave it a swerve. Looked fairly quiet in the middle.

Re Worcester and house building

Is not the flooding issue the reason they cannot build ???

All those moaning about only having a head on view at Bangor:



Great view from there and hardly anybody bothers to walk through from Paddock. Here's a picture of it taken from the inside of course.