Whats your fav racetrack and why ...

Cartmel..... a night at my mate's place, a meet up at a local car owner's club then Cartmel village to watch the world go by with a coffee followed by parking the picnic table at the fence before the priory to watch the races - what could be better? Winners? Who cares

^^ went to the Westwood for the first time on my 50th. Agree with you about York too

Lee Ho , I believe that there's a Sticky Toffee Pudding shop at Cartmel?

The commentators hardly ever mention it!!!

Can't say I've ever heard them mentioning it either

Hexham rightly gets a nod for being picturesque. You couldn't always see it though. I went there after work one night many years ago. It was cold dull evening, the races run in fading light. Damp low cloud was lingering in the natural bowl. The sort of dreek penetrating wetness in the air that spears the soul. I remember a wizened old jockey bracing himself as he took one down early and how isolated he looked, face grimaced against the weather as the horse broke stride to canter past. He was wearing old fashioned woolen colours with a polo neck, red and white quarters, blue sleeves, that must have gained half a stone after weighing out. It was a rite of passage and I absolutely loved it!

In order

Longchamp
Ascot
Cheltenham
White City

Cartmel . Always has been , always will
Favourite meeting however ............ The Cheltenham Festival . Hardly original but hey ho

Newbury & Goodwood
Used the hospitality facilities numerous times and my guests always gave very positive feedback , plus always great jumps racing at Newbury.




Can't help but add three tracks i hated and will never attend again........

Epsom
Chester
Windsor

Going off-topic

Does anyone remember Stockton racetrack? when it was going was it at Catterick/Carlisle level or maybe a bit better than that.  Were any decent races ran there?

I remember Stockton - Teeside,definitely higher profile than Catterick,it was dual purpose but think it might have had a minor classic trial?

Stockton or Teeside Park.

Train from Darlo to Thornaby then the long walk to the racecourse win a few quid then pop next door to Cleveland park dogs then the even longer walk back to the station in the pouring rain with coppers in my pocket.

GREAT DAYS.

Ronnie.

Longchamp was an unforgettable experience for viewing, quality of racing, and cost.

Being taken by private plane to a box at Cheltenham by one of the 'Gay Future' gang was pretty memorable too.

For me, almost all tracks have some sort of appeal. But, pushed, it would be Beverley, Sandown and Kelso just scraping home at the top of the list! Thirsk, not far behind.

Have to agree with the poster who listed Chester as a no-no, though! Also, Kempton, even when the flat was on turf there, never conjured up of an atmosphere except for Boxing Day. Hard to say why, but the grandstand never did / still doesn't ever see the sun shine on it and so was / is pretty gloomy - I have not been there since 2001, bar an evening meeting last February. Enough said about that grim experience...

Sandown is a great viewing track but it is a puzzle how poor the average crowds are being close to London and with a train service direct to the course.

Loads of great racecourses in the uk but ascot is the best followed by Kelso ,as I say there are many ,racecourse that deserve more credit for various reasons are catterick,Hamilton,and plumpton,not many I don’t like but Windsor,Huntingdon and bath would be three I wouldn’t visit again although out of curiosity I may go and see the national hunt at windsor.I don’t like Doncaster but they stage good racing so will continue to go,this won’t be popular but I do find Perth,cartmel and goodwood overrated.

In Ireland Gowran park would be my number one for the all round day out at a national hunt fixture it tops the lot,on totally different scales the curragh and thurles and great racecourse although for some reason the curragh is unloved by the Irish,the two tracks I didn’t think much of were Clonmel and Killarney .whilst I accept the racing both code is very good I do think Naas is overrated.

I forgot to add limerick to Clonmel and Killarney

Not been to the new longchamp but Andrew tells me how good it is so I’m happy to give it a try at some stage.

Morning Guys,

I agree with those who dislike Windsor, i felt the same in bygone years. It used to be a local track for me (pre-1984) although i didn't go there every week; i also owned Greyhounds running at nearby Slough. I haven't been to many UK tracks anyway, i think around 10, all in the south, only Leopardstown in Ireland (3 occasions) but several abroad.

Jimnast i love Longchamp, not necessarily the new stand that i think is a bit gaudy, but the whole weekend experience with top quality racing. Queues for placing a bet are much reduced these days with fixed terminals everywhere and operators with hand-carrying machines. Garden area for families. Getting to the course is easy with Navette buses (free shuttle) to/from a couple of metro stations in Paris.

I've also been to non-Arc weekends, last year i went to the 2000/1000 Guineas meeting (same day) and the Arc Trials in September. 20 euros and sit where you like, good views from upper floors and nowhere near the crowds on Arc Sunday. I really recommend it.

Cartmel

Think most of my favs have been covered, the 2 biggest disappointments for me were Windsor and Lingfield, had an image what was totally different to reality!

To me it's all about the quality of the racing and fairness of track so York.

Ascot because i had my biggest bet ever and it Won..Honest.Newton Abbot Went there 30 Years ago with £20 and camne home with £700.

What was the horse Acey?

Drum Taps Ascot Gold Cup £500 13-2   Happy Days.

I'd put in a mention for Pontefract. I'm more of a jumps person but Ponte is the best of the flat courses I have been to for viewing purposes. Despite being about 2 miles round you can easily see everything. Much better than the courses that run 6 out of 7 races on a straight mile imo.

Nice one, with Frankie on board too

Don't have to say it but it was my first. Still go a couple of times a year when I play golf just across the loch.
Took me a long time (2019) but York, for the people/staff/course and quality of racing.
For NH it simply has to be Cheltenham .

Like the variety we have so not really against any although having been to Newcastle several times recently have to say when it's an ordinary quiet day it's absolutely fine,was there on Sunday and was very well looked after but went on plate day this summer and realised what a dump it is when there's a crowd,they have literally spent nothing on it for years and the facilities couldn't cope.If ever there was a track that summed up Arc's priorities this is it.
Have to say York as fav,do everything well and terrific value for money compared to most,William Derby gets it.
First year at Royal Ascot last year and thoroughly enjoyed it,a great racecourse and the most striking thing I came away with was the staff,simply all so friendly and helpful,some of the dullard jobsmiths in the north could learn a lot from them.
Not any mentions of Cheltenham? I get some of the criticisms but still always feel a tinge of excitement when walking in,simply a wonderful racing arena.

I like quirky courses with a view, so Bath is my no. 1.  Salisbury close behind, Goodwood 3rd.

Historically, Lewes, not that I was old enough to ever go, but 60 years on since closure, it's still there. I totally love the place, and the town.

Talking about tinge of excitement i always got that entering Aintree even in the off season , used to attend the meeting room frequently when the place was closed but excitement was still there even without a crowd , sounds crazy i know but that's Aintree and could never avoid thinking back to particular past races whilst walking up the stairs , think it was mostly seeing the Red Rum statue when the nostalgia kicked in.

My favourite is Deauville. Lovely course, top class racing during the summer and great value. 8 euros for admission last summer with several Group 1 races.

In the UK Cheltenham and Ascot for quality racing.

In Ireland, Leopardstown because I have pleasant memories of winning the jackpot in 1980 and I was the only winner with a dividend of £6,352.84.

Punchestown
Cheltenham
Killarney
Leopardstown
Naas
Newbury
Curragh

Punchestown
Cheltenham
Killarney
Leopardstown
Naas
Newbury
Curragh

Punchestown
Cheltenham
Killarney
Leopardstown
Naas
Newbury
Curragh

Ascot, I love the NH meetings, especially on Friday's when the crowds are smallish but always enough staff to cope. Hired a box for my 60th birthday and stuck a huge bet on Cue Card, which duly obliged to contribute towards the cost. I've always done well there which is probably why I like it so much; just a bit of a pain to get there by train.

Plumpton on a Monday afternoon.

Hamilton
Kelso

York
Beverley
Perth

goodwood , not so  much the big meet but a quieter day with the sun out

Not the biggest or the most popular but I enjoy the unique figure-of-eight track at Fontwell, always a great view of the action from the centre of the course

Newton Abbot on a Summers Night is a good Laugh.

Especially after wards hit The Local Cider Bar in Town with plenty of Readies in ya pockets

Ascot - best possible raceday experience bar none esp June.
York a very close second in the summer what a day out
Kelso - great NH day out

Whatever your favourite course I think one thing we can all agree on is that there is nowhere else in the world where you get the variety of courses that we have in the UK/ireland.

The two Ps for me; Punchestown and Plumpton

that was set up for mushy and pod

Leicester, for no reason other than it was local to me at the time.

Quite right tiger and long may that continue.

Goodwood from the top of trundle hill

We all know Andrew in Sweden is a good judge and he has hit this one out of the ball park with WHITE CITY.
For horses though as I follow the aw I love wolverhampton. My ambition is to win a class 6 there. Got a share in a horse who might end up doing it too if its mark drops a little. Happy days

I must put in a word for Market Rasen. Good viewing, rarely overcrowded. Facilities adequate for the size of crowd that normally attends.

My local course Towcester (RIP). Nearly always freezing and windy but I loved it

Ascot naturally. Les landes 8n jersey is worth a mention, purched on a clifftop.wonderful

Cartmel..... a night at my mate's place, a meet up at a local car owner's club then Cartmel village to watch the world go by with a coffee followed by parking the picnic table at the fence before the priory to watch the races - what could be better? Winners? Who cares

Lee Ho Fooks

Are all the pubs back open in the Cartmel village, had a pint there a couple of years ago but the one on the corner was shut down..

Best racecourse experiences I had were Aintree(multiple times) and Windsor.

Royal Ascot , Aintree Thursday is special. Meydan was a great night. Bangor nice in summer. Chester in July. Nice room at Haydock with good racing. Cartmel, great day out.. All great days

Ascot nh fridays are a joy as are flat fridays.

interesting that the home / traditional base of uk flat racing ,newmarket , never gets any great write ups !...workrider's passion for naas surely stems from the fact that you could pop into town and have a pint chatting to tommy fletcher . god rest his soul . a lovely man . i can't bring myself to return since his passing .

Sandown gets a few mentions but other than that a poor show from arc and jcr racecourses the two groups who are trying to dictate to the other tracks.

Sorry aintree rightly gets a thumbs up from Eddie and billy

I loved Folkestone, proper racing crowd, use to Drive there from our Caravan site at Reculver, i always worked my holidays and shift days off around Folkestone.
standing by the final fence, which was also the first fence in the 2m5f chases was a spectacle.
Ray Goldstein took a tumble at it one day, his whip ended up next to where i was standing, i gave it back to him and he even had time for a chat.
A lovely guy, use too meet up with him for a drink after racing at Plumpton after he retired, he had some great stories.

I've posted great things about Aintree earlier in the thread but forgot to add in my view the greatest sporting experience of all , standing as close to the first fence in the National when the fences were at their toughest and watching 40 horses taking off within a few seconds of each other , exhilarating experience.

Feb 11, 2024 -- 11:25AM, Hayden wrote:

I've posted great things about Aintree earlier in the thread but forgot to add in my view the greatest sporting experience of all , standing as close to the first fence in the National when the fences were at their toughest and watching 40 horses taking off within a few seconds of each other , exhilarating experience.

It makes you think, How Fu###ng brave or mad the jockeys are.

Sorry Hayden

Dambuster Folkestone was great by far the best arc track so they let it go,

Yes jimnast, i went to the last meeting with my son, we took a souvenir, the yellow no12 stalls number that was discarded on the ground in the middle of the course.
in the early years , i use to love looking at the big wooden board opposite the grandstand, with the jockeys names painted on them, the NRs etc.
So sad that Arc let it go, always a good crowd down there, especially in the Summer with all the holiday camps around the area.

I was also at the last meeting Dambuster I remember cattermole saying as they crossed the line let’s hope it’s not the last meeting,it wasn’t meant to be it was supposed to return as a left handed track but politics got in the way .

I miss Folkestone

Two racecourses that'd closed by the time i was frequenting the track were Wye and Lanark , anyone ever attend ?

I was at the final meeting at Lanark,a sad day….

1977,October….

The silver bell moved to Hamilton…..tightest right hand bend in the country,no complaints from the riders on a wet day…

The muddle brothers tried to take over and produce an AW like Wolverhampton but imo the local council knocked them back….reason unknown to the fodder….

I didn’t go to either Hayden I started going racing in early 77 also never went to teeside park /Stockton.

They are sad days form even though there’s a few I don’t like I wouldn’t want them to close.

Form

Whilst I’d like to blame arc for Folkestone the council were the bigger culprit’s

Folkestone was a lovely track, I spent many a day there.

I'll say Sandown as my favourite and a mention for a lesser grade track namely Fakenham for it's quirkiness.

formoftheace-
Lanark closing  was a very sad day. Unfortunately I didn't make it that day but have some great memories just the same. As I said on an earlier post,I still go up at least two times a year when golfing at Lanark, and I still get that feeling that others have mentioned about their local courses closing. Sad I know. I've never been to Hamilton to see the Silver Bell run (yet) but going to make a point of going this year.

You won’t be disappointed Tommy especially if the weather is good

I never went to Wye, i'd have loved to have gone there.

Jimnast,most councils are like the big house on the Thames all cash and status Fk the fodder….

A new track would have brought in work and cash to the community but for some strange reason…..

Kent doesn't have a racecourse. consider that to Yorkshire. Shame, i thought Manston airport closing would have made a nice course.

Indeed form arc wanted to build 500 houses but the council said 200 quite ironic really been as where it is geographically.

Tommy as form says you won’t be disappointed with Hamilton

Doncaster easily the best.
Loads of room
Can get internet
Parade ring in front of stands
Good viewing
Best fixture lists,always Fridays,sat,sun and on the big days at other tracks
Has a classic,big hcps top level and medium level racing.
No coincidence the flat season opens and closes here.
Massive indoor if raining,great outdoor if sunny.

Ticks every box

Yes and if you drive 5 minutes from the track jimnast you will see a new housing complex,the old military houses demolished apart from the listed buildings….

Racecourse all tweed and teeth on a Sunday morning….

Sandown was great when I was in London.

Now I’m up north I’ve got a stack of them to check out.

jimnast

re Stockton/Teesside it was one of the first courses I went to

old man Dickinson used to send them there, he said it was a very fair course, the last time i was there before it closed a guy from your manor who was a massive punter had a winner, mike basso.

do you remember him his colours were similar to silver bucks colours

hope your well, soon be Dante

jimnast/formoftheace-Yes I've been to Hamilton many times. Used to live near the course, just had never seen The Bell raced for there. After an absence of about 15 years I attended last Glasgow Fair Friday night meeting. I had a small interest in a runner and couldn't have been treated better by the staff. Will definately be there again this year.

Comingupthehill

Are you a defence barrister?

Hello Ronnie I remember gay Spartan from the Dickinson’s running there

Yep not long to the Dante

Hope your looking after yourself

Tommy

only been to Hamilton once, a Thursday in 1994, i had a leg in one trained by Michael Dodds, it was ridden by Nicky Connerton and won at 8/1, mack bet paid me out in £100 pound Scottish notes

at the time i was flying and flew down from Teesside to Ascot the next morning, backed juyish trained by John Dunlop with fletcher. it won the length of ascot high street

don't suppose i will see those days again but still have the memories

Hi Ronnie. Glad you had a successful trip to Hamilton. Was Nicky Connorton Brians son? Brian used to ride a lot at Hamilton in the sixties for Snowy Gray from Beverley. Snowy trained for a local owner I think Mrs Perratt who I believe was/is Linda's mother. You could put the kettle on for the combination to give winners.
They were great times but I like to keep looking forward as well.

Yes he was Tommy,unfortunately fell by the wayside a bit jailed for drinking and driving…..

Stable rider to Bill Watts at one time…

The nineties were a bid of a jungle for northern punters,lot of undesirable types going around and certain jockeys you were told to scratch off the list on reading form….

Envelopes (allegedly)….

formoftheace- I take it you mean Nicky. I was unaware of his troubles.
Not just the nineties still today it goes on.
I steer well clear of certain stables, don't want to name them on here. I concentrate on around 20 stables that I call 'trusted,' most not all, are large stables and are always foremost in my selections. Some stables, Nicholls as an example, I almost consider first, and if I fancy one from another trainer in the race I would still have a saver on Paul's runner. It works for me.

Yes it was Nicky who served time in the can

Fontwell for me

Has to be Cheltenham. I was a member for 30 years. It was my local course but I now live farther away and don't like trying to get across the town any more. My local now is Wincanton but I don't go to live racing much as the TV coverage is so much better than it was and my favourite places on most racecourses, the Tote Credit offices are no longer.

Off to PLumpton today so if I get all six winners this will be my favourite track, haha

You lucky fella lovegod plumpton on a Monday afternoon wonderful

lovegod. I fancy Sambezi 4.15. So that's one you can avoid.

plumpton is a nice little gaff. more important is the fact you get the rattler from norf london all the way. and despite my single worst result happened there

Jimnast/Tommy

Thanks a very nice afternoon, nice sunny day, not too crowded, had three winners Alto Alto, Kotmask and Majestic Jameela, thought Birdman Bob was moving nicely then unseated the jockey, but hey let's not be greedy.

Off to Sandown on Thursday if it's on.

A perfect way to spend a winters afternoon lovegod and yes birdman Bob was moving very nicely

Could be doing it all again on Monday 26 February.