Huntingdon Racecourse & Betting Review: Popular Events, Best Offers and Facts

To kick things off, you’re best advised to have a look out the table shown above, where you’ll find a brief, but comprehensive overview of some of our preferred betting sites for wagering on races at Huntingdon Park. It includes info relating to welcome bonuses, special promotions, payout prices and betting types. For a more detailed look into the course, where we review some history, some general facts, stats and technical course specs, continue reading down to the sections below! By the end, you’ll be all clued up on the best betting sites for the venue.

The Turf Itself

Oval-shaped, right-handed and about one-and-a-half-miles all the way around, the Huntingdon horse racing track is renowned for being quite easy with a fast surface. It’s mostly flat with no noticeable undulations to speak of, has all-easy bends, and features nine fences per circuit. Some of the fences can be tricky, but they are well-maintained and rarely cause injury to horse or rider. It is for this reason that the course is often used by trainers to give some of their more novice jumpers a ride out and save the big guns for places like Newbury.

This is a track that has proven to favour more speedy customers as opposed to those with more stamina. Burlier national hunt types tend to get found out here; when the going gets poor the field tends to level out, however, there’s no doubt that those that are faster over obstacles are at a considerable advantage.

Most Popular Huntingdon Racecourse Racing Events

Given the long season and the numerous events staged, it should come as no surprise that there are some truly thrilling Huntingdon horse racing events. The course’s main highlight is probably the Peterborough Chase, a Grade 2 National Hunt worth £65,000. It used to be held in November but clashed with other big races, which led to smaller fields and lesser interest. As a result, it was moved to the middle of December and has since enjoyed a heightened prestige. It’s about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs long contains sixteen fences and is reserved for horses aged four-years-and-above. The other key event at Huntingdon is the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle, a listed race for 2 miles and 3½ furlongs for horses aged four and above. Be sure to keep a look out for special Huntingdon promotions! You won’t often find much for the novice chasers, however, there may well be a few odds price boosts or bet insurance deals for the Peterborough Chase!

Some Interesting Facts

Huntingdon is a Jockey Club course, one of fifteen in the country, and is renowned for being one of the friendliest equestrian racing venues in the British Isles. It has often been voted ‘Best Small Racecourse’ in the region on numerous occasions and in 2016 the ground staff were voted the best in the whole of Britain as a result of tireless work and commitment to ensure the Huntingdon Racecourse horse racing track remains in impeccable condition and this makes it stand out compared to other tracks we’ve reviewed. The most anticipated day of the year is the festive Boxing Day meet, otherwise known as Peterborough Chase Day.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1886	Huntingdon Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Huntingdon Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	3m
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Peterborough Chase
Average Temperature:	2°/21°
Racecourse Capacity:	10000

Over the years, the Peterborough Chase has produced some great champions of the sport of kings. One Henrietta Knight, one of the most successful female horse trainers of all time, won the Peterborough Chase a remarkable eight times between 1998 and 2007, including four times in a row with the French-bred Edredon Bleu in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. She also won the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times with Best Mate in 2002, 2003, 2004. Knight is one of most successful trainers to have found success at the venue and someone that has contributed (albeit indirectly) to Huntingdon betting becoming such a key market for UK betting sites.

Huntingdon Racecourse: The Story so Far

Huntingdon has been hosting memorable jump racing events since 1886, with the very first meet taking place over Easter. It was a three-mile steeplechase which was won by a horse named Catherine the Great. There were many other racecourses in the surrounding areas in the 18th and 19th centuries, however, by the year 1900, they were mostly gone and it was among only a few that survived. Probably the last major course to close in the area was Cambridge in 1925. Then, some forty years later when the Peterborough Chase was introduced in 1969 and staged here, the venue emerged as the premier course in the region, with Huntingdon horse racing betting becoming an extremely valuable market.

Top horses that have competed at the Huntingdon horse racing track over the years include One Man, winner of 20 of his 35 races and champion of the Hennessy Gold Cup, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the King George VI Chase and several more; Monet’s Garden, winner of the Peterborough Chase in 2008 and champion of the Ascot Hurdle, Liverpool Hurdle and the Old Roan Chase in 2007, 2009 and 2010; and, most recently, Desert Orchid, probably the most memorable of them all. He won over twelve major championships and ended his career with a TimeForm rating of 187.