Wetherby Racecourse & Betting Review: Top Events, Best Offers and Facts

To get you started off on the right foot we’ve gone ahead and drawn up this easy-digestible table, which aims to provide a short and concise overview of what some of the better UK betting sites have on offer when it comes to wagering on the different races at Wetherby. You’ll get an idea of what kind of welcome offers, special event promotions, payout prices and betting types are available and, as we continue, we’ll share some important facts and figures, some historical context, technical course info and more. When you’re finished, betting on Wetherby horse races will be easy.

The Turf Itself

As discussed earlier in the introduction, Wetherby Racecourse features both a flat racing course and a hurdles course. The flat course is approximately a-mile-and-a-half all the way, mostly flat and has fairly easy bends. It suits runners that like an aggressive style, front-running style. It’s a fast track so speedy, handier types are at an advantage here.

The jumps course is known for being a very fair ride. The fences previously had a reputation for being rather stiff but are nowadays managed very comfortably. Not too long ago the A1 motorway was extended, which led to a few of the hurdles in the home straight being repositioned and has thus made the track even faster than it was. As a result, larger, long-standing customers do have a bit of an advantage. It can sometimes pay to save a bit of gas in the tank for the final push, however, prominent runners are also known to do well here.

Most Popular Wetherby Horse Racing Events

Flat racing has only been held at Wetherby for short time, so all the most popular events are on the jumps course. Wetherby betting is best known for the meeting which traditionally takes place in late-October or early-November. It features what is probably the prestigious race held at the venue the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase. It is the first highly rated three-mile contest of the UK jump racing season, is reserved for horses aged five-years-old and above and offers around £100,000 in prize money. There’s also the West Yorkshire hurdle, a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race reserved for horses aged four-years-old and above, which is run over 3 miles and pays about £40,000 in prize money. The most popular event held outside this meeting is the Towton Novices’ Chase, a three-mile race for horses aged five-years-old and above – it pays a fairly generous £35,000 to the top runners.

Some Interesting Facts

Did you know that the trainer with the best record on the Wetherby horse racing track on the flat over the last three years is Richard Fahey. The North Yorkshire-based trainer has managed 6 wins and 10 places from 25 races, meaning that he has a track strike-rate of 24% – he’s also accumulated £27,363 in prize money. He recently won the Wetherby Super Sprint in 2017; in the same season he recorded 200 winners and accumulated a whopping £4.2million in prize money, from various other tracks we’ve reviewed. An impressive achievement for somebody that’s been in the game for a couple of decades.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1891	Wetherby Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Wetherby Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	3m 1f
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Charlie Hall Chase
Average Temperature:	1°/21°
Racecourse Capacity:	7000

On the jumps, the most successful trainers are Sue Smith on the chase course, Dan Skelton on hurdles and Brian Ellison on the National Hunt flat. Mrs Smith has managed 11 wins and 27 places from 59 runners, giving her a strike-rate of 18.64% and winning her £77,000 in prize money; Mr Skelton has managed 14 wins and 19 places from 46 runners, giving him a strike-rate of 30.43% and winning him £67,633 in prize money; and Mr Ellison has managed 2 wins and 3 places from just 9 runners. Just a few things to bear in mind when you’re thinking about Wetherby Racecourse betting!

Wetherby Racecourse: The Story so Far

In 1981 the venue began to resemble the Racecourse that we’ve come to know and love today. Prior to this date Racing had previously taken place in a small village in the south-east of Yorkshire called Linton, however, in 1981 the first meeting at the current venue was held. The first grandstand was constructed in 1906 – that same grandstand still exists today – and in the mid-20th century the venue underwent considerable redevelopments. It was also around this time that Wetherby horse racing betting began to grow into a lucrative market for UK betting sites.

The level of competition at the Wetherby horse racing track inevitably means that some truly great names have competed there – the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase, in particular, has crowned some memorable long-distance champions. Wayward, a British-bred and trained gelding won the race in 1983 and 1985. He also won the Peterborough Chase (1981, 1983) the Welsh Champion Chase (1981,1982) and the Whitbread Gold Label Cup Chase (1985, 1987) – among many other titles – in his career. More recently, See More Business was a top-class chaser that won the event in 1999 and 2000. He also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup (1999), the King George VI Chase (1997, 1999) and the Betfair Bowl (2000).