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

To get you started on the right foot, we’ve put together this easy-to-read table (shown above) where you can get a general idea of what some of the better UK betting sites offer when it comes to wagering on the different races at Newbury. In the following sections, we’ll review some historical facts, general stats and figures and some technical info relating to the course itself. When you’re done, you’ll be all clued-up on the premier UK course and will be able to start placing wagers like a pro. Keep reading to discover more!

The Turf Itself

As one of the leading equestrian racing venues in the country, it’s no surprise that Newbury Racecourse has both flat and National Hunt racing facilities. The flat track is known to be one of the fairest around. Left-handed and undulating, there’s almost no draw bias – despite the fact that the majority or riders like to position themselves close to the stand rail due as the going tends to be a bit better – and favours larger, longer-striding customers. The straight course is a mile in total and one full circuit is around two miles.

Like its flat counterpart, the jumps course is again known to be one of the fairest around. There are two very long straights and two sweeping bends. Races tend to run at a steady pace and there isn’t normally that much jockeying for position on the way around. This, along with the fair height of the fences, means that you don’t often see bad casualties or bad luck stories where horses fall or riders are dismounted.

Most Popular Newbury Horse Racing Events

As previously mentioned, Newbury horse racing is known for hosting a great number of prestigious races both on the flat and the jumps course. On the flat, probably the most noteworthy race is the Lockinge Stakes, which is held annually in May. It’s a Group 1, one-mile event reserved for horses aged four years and older that’s worth around £350,000. On the jumps course there’s the Betfair Hurdle, a Grade 3 National Hunt race for horses aged four years and older that takes place in February, however, the real feature race is the Ladbrokes Trophy, previously named the Hennessy Gold Cup. It’s a Grade 3 National Hunt chase that’s been won by some truly memorable champions over the years and still stands as one of the most prestigious jump racing events of the year – it’s normally staged in late-November or early-December.

Some Interesting Facts

It is in this section where we take the time to look at some of the great champions to have been successful at the Newbury horse racing track. The Lockinge Stakes, probably the biggest fixture on the flat course, has a sparkling hall of fame that includes the likes of Olympic Glory, Soviet Line and none other than Frankel – perhaps the most-famous jumping horse of all time and most definitely age most successful of his generation. Frankel won the contest in 2012, the same year that his Timeform rating was increased from 143 to 147, a move which confirmed his status as the highest-rated jumper in history.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1905	Newbury Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Newbury Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	3m 2f 110y
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Hennessy Gold Cup
Average Temperature:	1°/22°
Racecourse Capacity:	22000

Back when it was named the Hennessy Gold Cup, the Ladbrokes Trophy also produced some legends of the turf. Among the most-famous are Many Clouds, an Irish-bred British-trained thoroughbred that won the competition in 2014 before going on to find success in the Cotswold Chase (2015,2017) and then in the Aintree Grand National (2015); and Arkle, a highly celebrated Irish thoroughbred that won near enough every major championship during his glistening career. He won the competition twice in 1964 and 1964 and also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times. The success of Newbury betting in recent times owes a lot to competitors such as these.

Newbury Racecourse: The Story so Far

Although the racecourse officially opened in 1905, horse racing in Newbury has a long, rich history which dates back some 100 years prior. Newbury Races, a famous two-day annual meet at the time, first took place in 1805 and continued there until 1811, at which point it was moved to Woodhay Heath for four more years. It was then almost a century later when it found its permanent home at Greenham, with many thanks due to John Porter, a trainer that worked tirelessly to try and secure land and planning permission for the venue. Newbury horse racing betting, however, would not really take off until much later.

Work on the Newbury horse racing track started back in 1904 when the first stables, stands and other public areas started to take shape. Its first meeting was staged a year later in September over two days, with John Porter managing to record a win on the second day. In recent times the track has undergone a fair amount of redevelopment. Nowadays it boasts first-class training facilities, excellent ground and state-of-the-art public areas and dining rooms – not to mention areas where business conferences, weddings and the like can be held. For more fantastic reviews on the sports, head on over to our horse racing tracks hub.