Haydock Park Racecourse & Betting Review: Popular Events, Top Offers and Facts

On this page, we will be providing you with a detailed bettor’s guide to wagering on the different races at the Haydock Park Racecourse. To begin, we’ll take a look at some of the better UK betting sites with regard to welcome bonuses, payout prices, special promotions and bet types. As we continue we’ll share some important historical context, general stats and facts as well as some technical course info, to provide you, our readers, with the most comprehensive guide to the course on the web. Continue reading the sections below for our unabridged, honest review.

The Turf Itself

Known for being a fairly straight-forward, fast and galloping course – especially when conditions are firm – Haydock Park Racecourse is a real favourite among leading jockeys and trainers in the UK. It’s left-handed, mostly flat and oval shaped; there are two reasonably sharp bends and two long straights, which is where long-striding horses tend to find their rhythm. When the going isn’t so good more tactful thinking is required – riders tend to veer over to the stand side rail as the ground normality holds up better there.

The jumps course used to be renowned for being quite tricky, however, the use of portable, softer fences have led to it becoming a very manageable course. This said conditions can get tough in the winter where there’s considerably more rainfall. Flat sprints are a simple straight -although slightly uphill – dash for the line, while slightly longer flat events require riders to make at least one of the sharp turns.

Most Popular Haydock Park Racing Events

Haydock Park Racecourse horse racing events are renowned for being of the highest order and produce runners of outstanding quality – this goes for both flat and the National Hunt events. Probably the most popular flat event is the Haydock Sprint Cup for horses aged three and above. It’s a Group One race of six furlongs which takes place during the September meeting. Other popular flat events include the Temple Stakes, the five-furlong dash worth £100,000, which takes place during the May meeting; and the Lancashire Oaks, a Group 2 race for fillies and mares aged over three years, which is worth close to £100,000.

Among the most prestigious jump events is the Betfair Chase, a top-ranked National Hunt steeplechase of 3 miles and 1½ furlongs for horses aged over five years; and two very important trial races, the Champion Hurdle Trial and the Grand National Trial held in January and February respectively. Be sure to look out for special promotions for the Haydock Sprint Cup as there are often plenty up for grabs!

Some Interesting Facts

Given the quality of the National Hunt and flat racing contests at horse racing tracks, it should come as no surprise that some true legends of the sport have been crowned champion there. In recent times Imperial Commander and Kauto Star have been standing outperformers; the former was the winner of the Betfair Chase in 2010 – he also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase in his career – while the former won the Betfair Chase a stunning four times between 2006-2011 and earned almost £5million in his nine-year-long career.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1899	Haydock Park Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Haydock Park Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	3m 4f
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Haydock Sprint Cup
Average Temperature:	2°/19°
Racecourse Capacity:	20000

In flat racing, memorable champions include Harry Angel, winner of the 2017 Haydock Sprint Gold Cup that was awarded the Cartier Champion Sprinter Award and the World’s Top-Rated Sprinter award in the same year; and Silvestre de Sousa, a Brazilian jockey who won the Ascendant Stakes on a horse named Chilean. He has several prestigious championships, including the Champion Stakes, the Lockinge Stakes and the infamous Dubai World Cup to his name and has been honoured with the British Flat Racing Jockey Champion award twice (2015 & 2017) as well as the Lester award in 2017. All of these figures have contributed to making Haydock Park Racecourse betting the huge market it is today.

Haydock Park Racecourse: The Story so Far

Racing was first started here back in 1899 after being moved from the nearby Newtown-le-Willows Course. The old venue opened in 1752 and despite being supported primarily by members of the hunting class, records suggest that it was open to the general public, which undoubtedly contributed to its early success. Industrial advancement led to an increased demand for horse racing in the area; William John Legh, 1st Baron Newton, saw this and made arrangements for some 130 acres of land to be used. Thus, Haydock Park was born, however, Haydock Park horse racing betting didn’t take off until the mid-20th century.

1963 saw the closure of the Manchester Racecourse, which meant that the Haydock Park horse racing track would become the premier equestrian racing venue in the area. The Lancashire Oaks race – previously held at the old venue – was relocated here in 1965; with it came to the all enthusiastic horse racing fans that used to frequent the old course and a new, vibrant atmosphere emerged – the same atmosphere that defines the venue today. Haydock Park is now a Jockey Club course that boasts four grandstands, private suites, restaurants, conference halls and public bars – not to mention state-of-the-art equestrian facilities.