5 worst racecourses in the UK

you cannot of been to Leicester !

why Worcester ?

only agree with Southwell

sorry to say must be chepstow.

Not southwell,shirley.

nothing wrong with Ffos Las

ayr is a dump.

pontefract
warwick
salisbury
catterick
cartmel

I have Southwell (aw) before Goodwood,Yarmouth,Brighton,Bath,Epsom any day for punting

Not been to Southwell since they put the sand down. Used to be a pretty little NH course with a a quietish but decent atmosphere.
In comparison Wetherby was a dump even when they had decent racing there.

I concede that Yarmouth is awful.

easygold

whilst I wouldnt wont any to close I must admit I wouldn't miss goodwood.

Taunton ain't the best

great racing at taunton though pedro.

salmon good description of wetherby and what great fixtures they get as in Saturdays and boxing day yet a very disappointing racecourse,taunton poor fixtures but a wonderful place to go and you get good racing,re southwell its still fine.

No mention of Bangor ?

I agree Bangor is a shocking omission.

flag of goats is a pretty random username , is thier a reason behind it im just curious

Southwell AW is one of the best punting tracks imo, so from for that reason its not in the top 5 worst more like the top 5 best

Wolverhampton until this week would of been on the top 5 worst for punting reasons but since the new tapeta was installed its become much fairer, last year was a disgrace though, the racing was dreadful from a punting point of view

My worst 5 (punting terms) are

Bangor (like Hexham, just build a mosque on it, horrible track)
Epsom (the most overrated track in the country, its supposed to be "flat racing" and yet they have a mile climb up a mountain??)
Kempton AW (although I like watching the racing there, its the nicest AW track)
Hexham (just build a council estate on it, the racing and the track itself is horrible)
Perth (don't mind the racing but betting opportunities are poor imo but decent jump action)

Thats wat I meant in terms of betting.

I must have drunk too much wine as I agree with some of horseburgers comments, but, I disagree vehemently with his views on Hexham.

Hexham racecourse on Yarridge Heights is the most beautiful setting for racing in England. Any National Hunt enthusiast should make a point of making the journey to Hexham. Admittedly the racing isn't of the highest quality, but, there's more to a days racing than betting.

Totally agree on Hexham , just been the twice and its in a beautiful location. While the Handicap races aren't the best the Novice events are quite decent quality.

Also agree about the comments on Wetherby , for a track that can have some decent quality racing it really has poor facilities and is soulless. Not keen on Newcastle either.

Perth is buzzing on a race day.

that will be the flies around the smelly scottish personages, nasty

Going back to the original question..."worst" as in which way? Facilities,racing,viewing,betting market,etc,etc ??

1.worcester
2.worcester
3.worcester
4.worcester
5.worcester

i.e. Why is Bangor so bad?  Also,until they recently put those,admittedly,awful,roll-on,roll-off "fences",Worcester used to have some cracking novice chases.One of the very best tracks,along with Newbury,to send a decent novice chaser to,according to Francome.

Pontefract a cracking course that get's **** loads of people in. Norman Gundell one of the best clerk of the courses you will find anywhere and thinks about his customers unlike some ****s like Newbury and Epsom.

The beast

Mine are betting related, although like I say on a couple of them I like the racing, Kempton AW is good viewing but poor for betting personally.

What's wrong with Perth?

Horse Burger,just spinning back through your posts. Wasn't sure if this was a general dig at courses in general. I can see you're viewing through a "punting" view.

I like some of the courses ie Perth Kempton, the racing is pretty good, godolphin send a lot of theirs there, as does Stoute, Hannon etc.

Perth is a great course,very well run,and hopefully,will be there for a long time to come. I'm not sure what the original thread was getting at,as there's been about 20 courses mentioned so far! Kempton is obviously,jumping-wise,aiming at basically 2,3,maybe 4 days a year NH-wise,with a couple of AW days thrown in. Doesn't make it a bad course in my eyes,it's very well run etc.

From a punting point of view, I seem to struggle with Newmarket, Chepstow and Chester. Newcastle has never been overly kind to me either.

Likes are Cheltenham, Brighton, Goodwood, Aintree.

Sandown

..... and there he is

Don't tell me..... Your up early for Jersey V Tonga in the cricket

Merthyr is a hole, I get that but boozing at 0600

Love is in the air.

I think he is drinking to block out his childhood


The beatings have clearly left both physical and mental scars

Been on here over 6 years banna and he is defo the worst i have ever seen.

He really is aweful

Woeful stuff innit Ghost


3 rounds at Carnoustie for me in May or "Carnasty" as they call it.

Check out the 3 courses..... Brutal

Bangor has to be the worst for viewing. They race the wrong way round for a start

Of the ones I still visit I'd single out Bangor - poor viewing & facilities, little done to attract sponsorship, hence pathetic fields.

Worcester - nightmare to get in/out of course by car, no food options unless you like chinese...
Chepstow - absolute hole and have to pay nearly £6 for pleasure of getting over bridge to get there...
Wolverhampton - one of the most depressing places in Earth on a quiet Fri/Sat night
Bath - Poor view, no food options unless you like burgers and a mare to get to and get out of...
Sedgefield - poor facilities

Of the best for a day out I would have to put Newbury at the very top

Ponty is the best run course in the north and better than a lot of the southern tracks.

Bangor has to be the worst for viewing. They race the wrong way round for a start

What utter tosh.

Obviously you have never been there

There may not be any stands there but it is actually one of the very best courses for viewing racing

There may not be any stands there but it is actually one of the very best courses for viewing racing

then put some feckin stands up

clarky

in the middle at Worcester they do fantastic pies.     

Chepstow go via tintern its a much nicer route

harsh on Sedgefield.

agree bath and wollybags.

also newbury I would have agreed with you a few years ago and still accept the racing is very good under both codes,but newbury has lost its way with proper racing enthusiast the place has become a circus and your not made to feel very welcome.

HorseBurger1989     06 Sep 14 00:51 
I like some of the courses ie Perth Kempton, the racing is pretty good, godolphin send a lot of theirs there, as does Stoute, Hannon etc.


Hannon Stoute and Godolphin at Perth

Chester, wouldn't go back there, Chester tote a rip off, can't bet away meetings, can't see the track properly due to to much rubbish in the middle, ie, gazebos  and most people there to get drunk, although that could be said for quite a few others.
Exeter, very poor viewing, big screen a must.
Redcar, average racing and run down.
Southwell, little to recommend it, not very attractive scenery either.
Bangor, expensive compared to what you get at other tracks, ie no grandstand, the finish is head on.

A Saturday afternoon on a hot summers day at Newmarket July Course is as good as it gets, competitive racing, plenty of room and not many there just for the beer, some stag and hens but not too many.

Been to them all, and in no rush at all to go back to these 5,

Worcester
Redcar
Catterick
Southwell
Wetherby

Bath - expensive, usually crap racing, and a poor view. It was "Ladies Evening" the last time I went, so £20 to get in for usual dross, with the added 'bonus' of Thommo.

I presume most like it as I haven't seen it mentioned, but I'm not a lover of Stratford.

Chester prices are extortionate, but it's a nice setting and they get the crowds in, so each to their own. Bangor, again, is expensive but the viewing is fine. Would be better as a right handed course though.

Don't mind Worcester (getting in and out, aside) or Southwell.

Windsor deserves a mention.Went there earlier this year for the first time since 1984 on a Racegoers Club free day.I very much doubt if I'll be going back.

Poor viewing,rubbish racing,rubbish beer and to add insult to injury you had to pay a £1 deposit on a plastic pint pot.Where else do they do that?

Interesting that ARC have so far provided 10 of their courses for the "worst" list

King of Spain 06 Sep 14 07:58
Bangor has to be the worst for viewing. They race the wrong way round for a start

They race both ways at Bangor...

agree with iamajambo about windsor. Went there only once and it was dire. That  was back in the days of jumping there which i prefer to the flat and it was the only time ive wanted to leave halfway through a  card. An awful racetrack

in the middle at Worcester they do fantastic pies - i'm in a box there so can't possibly get to middle and back easily between races...
   

Chepstow go via tintern its a much nicer route - I come over the bridge as I come off M4

harsh on Sedgefield. - what has it got going for it?

Ban my mates played there and he has played many courses he said it is both the hardest but by far the best course he has ever played.

iamajambo    06 Sep 14 11:06 
Windsor deserves a mention.Went there earlier this year for the first time since 1984 on a Racegoers Club free day.I very much doubt if I'll be going back.

Poor viewing,rubbish racing,rubbish beer and to add insult to injury you had to pay a £1 deposit on a plastic pint pot.Where else do they do that?

I was in South Africa a couple of years ago watching cricket at The Wanderders in Jo'burg. You had to pay for a plastic cup there , before you could buy a drink.

Mind you, did work out at about 80p a pint, so wasn't all bad!

Any loyalty to Newbury disappeared last Christmas when only one turnstile was open to admit to Tatts. An hour queueing to get in, first race missed. Chepstow, blotted copybook when they ramped up admission on day of a Cheltenham postponement. Bath is dire. Poor viewing and ridiculously expensive for pitiful racing. Can't have Kelso with bookies behind stand. At least the stand points in the right direction, unlike  at Great Leighs , which was an absolute shocker.

pedro39    05 Sep 14 22:36 

Taunton ain't the best

Can't agree with that, the present team there now have done a great job with Taunton, improved a lot to what it was.

I hated Epsom when I went there for a mid-week meeting. A right chew-on to get to the course traffic-wise.
Small fields.
Full of plastic gangsters with their orange peroxided molls.
Oh, and some daft cahnt put up a big marquee which blocked out most of the view of the home straight just so some reality TV "star" could "entertain" us after racing.
A ghastly experience...

Hard to say - unless you've been to at least 40 tracks it is difficult to say.
But to put Hexham & Cartmel near the top of the worst list is preposterous (and probably mainly London folk talking, methinks).

For betting purposes..
1 Brighton
2 Goodwood.
3. Salisbury
4 Chester
5 Cartmel

Newcastle's cr@p - stand is 300 yds from the course and you can only see about half the course anyway. Funny how mine always fall out of sight!

Cartmel
Epsom
Chester
Salisbury
Bangor

ffos las,ffos las,ffos las ,ffos las and finally ffos las

but seriously,  bath, brighton,great leighs,southwell and ffos las

Kempton all why bother
Yarmouth flapping track
Pontefract
Worcester
Newcastlewhwhenitisallweather****

The worst course for punting has to be Bath. Hate Southwell AW also.

What % of those that nominate Ffos Las have actually been there?

What % of those that nominate Ffos Las have actually been there?

Good point loper. I imagine that applies to many comments on this thread.

Yes, Mandarin.

Ffos las has many positives for me.

Probably the finest/fairest NH course in the UK after Newbury.

Great viewing.

Lovely backdrop.

Biggest paddock anywhere.

It is a long way from most places and it rains a lot I see as the only negatives.

1. Yarmouth
2. Bath
3. Brighton
4. Salisbury
5. Ffos las

ffos las
bottomless ground in winter, small fields all year round, same trainers represented

are a few of the negs

Forgot about redcar and goodwood

cheltenham
goodwood
newbury
sandown
longchamps

clarky

the pies in the middle was a bit of fun,you just carry on watching your racing in a box.

Bangor on Dee - has gone the same way as Chester (same owners) with their rip off admission prices and restricted on course totes which are deliberately 10% below SP. Bangor also has no atmosphere because the finish line is too far away from the spectators. And it is a course designed for owners/trainers - just take a look around when you enter the course.

Just one:
Bath

Its not in the UK but Galway has to be mentioned

Its big, ugly, unscenic and has no atmosphere and I cannot back a winner to there to save my life

Des Scahill also has the race calling gig there for life

I favour keeping open nearly all tracks but I might make an exception in the case of unglorious galway

Salisbury is fkin mint!!!!!

FOLKESTONE was the worst flat track and is not missed by me and is closely followed by Chepstow which I don't even bother looking at. Epsom I also hate apart from Coronation Cup and the Derby and Oaks. Goodwood is also near the top of my list apart from the Sussex Stakes. Catterick and Thirsk are the worst Yorkshire tracks and I also hate the seaside gaff tracks at Redcar, Yarmouth which is as far from "great" as you get and also despise Brighton. Bath a bit boring too.

A lot are saying Epsom on here and its not hard to see why imo, god awful track.

No its not.

I like epsom.

Its a bit different and I love the variety of tracks in the UK

What do you want.Every course to look like wolverhampton ?

My "home" course is Bath and not much going for it unfortunately.

High elevation, scenic views = blowing a gale most of the time
(and, if it rains, it's like a howling, horizontal monsoon).

Regular buses from train station = no way of getting back if you get out more than seven minutes after the last race.

Regular taxi service = slim chance of getting one (even if you pre-order).

Driver friendly = getting in is ok (getting out a nightmare).

Food and drink available at competitive prices = take out a mortgage for fish and chips.

Oh, and the racing's usually absolute cack....

I feel better now....

worcesters a belting little track nice stand can see ur horse all the way round the course I would put forward Chepstow its great on the tv not so good when you are there the horses disappear down the hill and if your lucky around 1 minute later your horse comes back into view

Cant understand anyone choosing Thirsk, lovely little track!

worcester has terrible facilities.
I asked there once why everything looked like it was part of a deserted building site and was told that because the course and the buildings are under water so often, it is not worth upgrading anything. 

I agree that as far as the actual race track is concerned then epsom is far and away the worst course in the country and why anyone would want to hold group races on that lottery of a course is a complete mystery.

Newbury is the best and fairest track in the country and if the BHA had any sense it would hold all of epsom's group racing.
as an add on to that newbury is one of the worst tracks in the country when they hold concerts and anybody who likes racing should definitely swerve it on concert days.

goodwood has great racing but if you go there you only see the last 2 furlongs.

ffos las is a lovely course once you're there but it's a nightmare to get to and transport costs put a lot of owners off sending horses there.

unfortunately I don't know any course that doesn't set out to mug the customers with food and drink prices once they get them inside.

outpost, when i went to ffos there wasn't a racing post seller on course, i nicked mine form the racing admin office, thought everything was too spread out for the size of crowd, feels empty and no atmosphere

whilst everything is fresh and new it was just dead

this was a couple of years ago on my only visit, had a runner that day but wouldn't bother going back for a days racing even if i had an interest, just too far to go for not alot of fun

Elise,

you should have gone to the opening fixture, it was rammed. And Thommo was commentating!

After the first race he was able to say that the winner had set a new course record. HE found that hugely entertaining.

i think with a big crowd it would be very different loper, you can't fault the effort it's just not for me in the right place to attract both runners and spectators

that opening night at ffos las was an incredible occasion the atmosphere was as good as any I have ever come across on a racecourse,and joking apart thommo was part of that I know on the whole he is a pain in the arse but that night he played his part.

Some people find featureless ovals boring - like Redcar and Yarmouth.
I guess they would figure for me.
Mine are REDCAR, YARMOUTH, PLUMPTON (too tight), FAKENHAM (too tight) and SOUTHWELL.

Revised mine already!
BRIGHTON, BATH, PLUMPTON (too tight), FAKENHAM (too tight) and SOUTHWELL.

I do get to Bath once in a while but don't like the angle they come at you.

Epsom by a distance.Home of the Worlds Greatest Race

plenty lost the plot on here I thought we were talking about racecourses as oppose to racetracks.