A Guide to Newbury Racecourse – History, Events and More

Welcome to our complete guide to Newbury racecourse, rated one of the fairest and most popular racetracks in the UK for both flat and National Hunt racing. Newbury stages around thirty race meetings per year. Its biggest events of the year are the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes in May and the Coral Gold Cup, formerly the Hennessy Gold Cup, in November.

Newbury racecourse hosts numerous Group 2 and Group 3 races on the flat including the Hungerford Stakes and the Mill Reef Stakes. The wide, galloping nature of Newbury racetrack makes it the perfect course for introducing two-year-olds and inexperienced three-year-olds. Famous racehorses to grace the Newbury turf include the unbeaten Frankel, twice a winner here in the Greenham Stakes (2011) and the Lockinge Stakes (2012).

The Coral Gold Cup is the most prestigious handicap chase in the Newbury horse racing calendar. Famous past winners include Arkle (1964, 1965) and Denman (2007, 2009). Newbury also stages the valuable Betfair Hurdle in February, originally run as the Schweppes Gold Trophy in 1963 and still one of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the season.

General Information About the Newbury Racecourse

Newbury Racecourse is conveniently situated in the centre of the south of England in the county of Berkshire. It is easily reached via road, rail or air. Newbury Racecourse Plc is the parent of a group of companies which own the track and operate race meetings, hospitality and catering retail activities.

The Newbury Racecourse capacity is 1,000 people indoors and 22,000 outdoors with a choice of fifty event spaces. The course offers modern facilities of the highest order with three large grandstands housing 42 syndicate rooms plus the Royal Box. It has car parking for 3,700 cars, 2,000m2 of indoor ground floor space and 4,000m2 of hard standing.

The Newbury racecourse nursery was created in 1992 and recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with a guest appearance by 2016 Hennessy Gold Cup and 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River.

Newbury racetrack facilities cater for business events for up to 50 delegates in the Royal Box and up to 1,000 delegates in the Newbury Racecourse Grandstand Conference Suite. It also hosts weddings and civil ceremonies with seating for up to 550 in the Racegoers Suite with panoramic views across the beautiful Berkshire countryside.

Newbury racecourse restaurants named “The Hennessy” and “The Racegoers” offer superb packages on race days. The Hennessy includes a Premier Enclosure ticket and a glass of champagne and canapes on arrival to get your Newbury horse racing experience off to a flying start! The Racegoers Restaurant offers a choice of Grandstand or Premier Enclosure ticket and is only open on selected race days.

Newbury racecourse events also include after racing concerts at selected meetings in the summer. Recent performers include Olly Murs and Craig David. Full information is available online where Newbury race tickets can be purchased in advance.

History of the Newbury Racecourse

The current Newbury racecourse was opened in September 1905 but racing first took place in the area one hundred years earlier. Newbury horse racing was originally staged at Enborne Heath in 1805 before being transferred to Woodhay Heath in 1815.

John Porter proposed a new racecourse in 1904 and the Newbury Racecourse Company was formed. Porter trained one winner at the track before retiring soon after the course opened. He is remembered by The John Porter Stakes, a Group 3 race held during the April meeting.

National Hunt racing followed within one year of the first flat race meeting staged at Newbury. The course has remained one of Britain’s Premier dual code racecourses ever since.

Newbury racetrack is a left-handed galloping course of just under a mile and three-quarters. It has a long home stretch of over half a mile with a straight course for races up to a mile on the flat. There are slight undulations but Newbury is widely regarded as the ideal course for inexperienced horses. Many of the top stables choose Newbury to introduce their better two and three-year-olds.

It is held in equally high regard by the top National Hunt trainers who are regularly race their most promising novices at Newbury. As a result, the form of maiden and novice races at Newbury is rivalled only by Newmarket in terms of producing future winners.

Newbury Racecourse Events

The Lockinge Stakes is the only Group 1 race at Newbury races and is the highlight of the two-day meeting in May. The one-mile event has been by far the most influential race for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in recent seasons. Lockinge Stakes day was promoted as Newbury races ladies day in 2022.

The Greenham Stakes is an important trial for the 2000 Guineas and is the highlight of the two-day Spring Trials weekend in April. The Fred Darling Stakes is a trial for the 1000 Guineas at the same meeting. Other significant Newbury flat races include the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes (August) over seven furlongs and the Mill Reef Stakes (September) for two-year-olds. The Weatherbys Super Sprint in July is a valuable two-year-old conditions race over five furlongs.

The Coral Cup, originally run as the Hennessy Gold Cup and more recently as the Ladbrokes Trophy, is the highlight of the two-day Ladbrokes Winter Carnival meeting in November. The Betfair Hurdle is one of the richest handicap hurdles of the season and takes place in February along with the Denman Chase and the Game Spirit Chase. The Challow Novices’ Hurdle at the end of December is the only Grade 1 National Hunt race staged at Newbury.

Coral Gold Cup

The Coral Gold Cup is the new title for the race formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup, one of the most valuable handicap chases of the National Hunt season. Hennessy’s sponsorship lasted until 2016, the longest running commercial sponsorship in the history of British racing. It was then run as the Ladbrokes Trophy until Coral took over the sponsorship in 2022.

The Hennessy Gold Cup was originally held at Cheltenham in 1957 with victory going to Fulke Walwyn’s Mandarin. The race was moved in 1960 and has long been established as the season’s jumping highlight for Newbury horse racing.

Mandarin became the first dual winner in 1961 and Walwyn won the race for a fourth time in seven seasons with Mill House in 1963. The legendary Irish chaser Arkle defied top weight of 12st 7lbs in successive seasons in 1964 and 1965. Arkle narrowly failed in his hat-trick bid when beaten half a length by Stalbridge Colonist in 1966 when attempting to concede 35lbs.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Bregawn (1982) and Burrough Hill Lad (1984) were also successful here along with King George VI Chase winners One Man (1994) and Teeton Mill (1998). Denman produced one of the greatest weight-carrying performances in the race’s history when winning under 11st 12lbs in 2007 and 2009. Recent winners include Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Bobs Worth (2012) and Native River (2016) and Grand National winner Many Clouds (2014).

The Betfair Hurdle

The Betfair Handicap Hurdle over two miles was originally run as The Schweppes Hurdle in 1963. It quickly became established as one of the richest handicaps of the National Hunt season but was not without controversy.

Trainer Ryan Prince won the first two runnings with Rosyth (1963 and 1964). The horse’s second victory came after four unplaced efforts and attracted the interest of the stewards. Price was warned off while jockey Josh Gifford was suspended for six weeks. Price won it again with Le Vermontois (1966) and then with Hill House (1967). The latter tested positive for a banned substance, but subsequent tests revealed that he produced his own cortisol.

The race always attracts a high-quality field with Persian War (1968) and Make A Stand (1997) going on to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Persian War carried a record weight of 11st 13lbs to victory and won the Champion Hurdle three times (1968, 1969 and 1970). Other top-class hurdlers to win here include Mysilv (1995), Landing Light (2001), Zarkandar (2012) and My Tent Or Yours (2013).

The Lockinge Stakes

The Lockinge Stakes was first held in 1958 and was originally open to three-year-olds, victory going to 200 Guineas winner Pall Mall. He followed up in 1959 and there have only been two dual winners since: Welsh Pageant (1970 and 1971) and Soviet Line (1995 and 1996).

The great Brigadier Gerard won this race in 1972. He was only beaten once in his 18 career starts. His most significant victories include the 2000 Guineas, the Eclipse, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and two wins in the Champion Stakes. In 1980 Henry Cecil’s Kris set a new course record in this race having also done so on his previous start at Haydock.

There was dead heat in the 1984 Lockinge Stakes between Cormorant Wood and Wassl. Perhaps the most impressive victory in this race was recorded by Aidan O’Brien’s Hawk Wing in 2003. He romped to a staggering 11 lengths victory in the hands of Mick Kinane. Timeform rated it the best performance over a mile anywhere in the world for nearly ten years.

The Lockinge Stakes was given Group 1 status in 1995 and is firmly established as one of the top mile races in Europe. In 2012 the unbeaten Frankel returned from an injury scare to win by five lengths. He went on to retire undefeated after 14 races, earning a Timeform rating of 147 to become the highest rated horse in the organisation’s history.

The Greenham Stakes

The Group 3 Greenham Stakes is restricted to three-year-old colts and geldings over seven furlongs and is an important trial for the 2000 Guineas. It is named after the parish where Newbury racecourse is located and is the feature event on the Newbury races family day Spring meeting.

It was first run in 1906 and notable winners include Mill Reef (1971), Wollow (1976) and Kris (1979). Mill Reef won the Epsom Derby in 1971 as well as the Eclipse, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He was beaten by Brigadier Gerard in the 2000 Guineas, still regarded as perhaps the greatest ever renewal of the colt’s Classic.

The last and most famous horse to win both the Greenham and the 2000 Guineas was Frankel in 2011. He defeated Excelebration by four lengths and would start the shortest-priced 2000 Guineas favourite since 1974. His demolition of the Guineas field was truly astonishing, establishing a lead of around 15 lengths before halfway and eventually winning by 6 lengths. It was the biggest winning margin in the race since Tudor Minstrel in 1947.

Fred Darling Stakes

The Fred Darling Stakes is a seven-furlong race for three-year-old fillies and a recognised trial for the 1000 Guineas. The race was first run as the Lambourn Stakes in 1949 and earlier winners include Guineas winner Mysterious (1973) and the brilliant Durtal (1977).

In 1981 it was won by Marwell, trained by Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn. She did not stay a mile in the 1000 Guineas but returned to sprinting with great success. Her victories include the King’s Stand Stakes, the July Cup and the Prix de l’Abbaye.

Fred Darling Stakes who winners went on to Classic success include Salsabil (1990), Shadayid (1991), Bosra Sham (1996) and Wince (1999). The race has been less informative as a Classic trial in recent years, but 2021 winner Alcohol Free did prove herself a top-class filly. She won the Coronation Stakes and the Sussex Stakes in 2021 and the July Cup at Newmarket in 2022.

The Super Sprint

The Weatherbys Super Sprint was created in 1991 and originally run as the Newbury Sales Super Sprint Trophy. It is designed for two-year-olds sold as yearlings by public auction for less than a specified price.

The race was devised by Lord Carnarvon and Richard Hannon Senior to offer big prize money for horses bought cheaply at the sales. The weight carried is determined by the price of the horse rather than any previous form. The event is now established among the most popular Newbury racedays and takes place in July.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Richard Hannon Senior enjoyed tremendous success in this event, training a record seven winners; Lyric Fantasy (1992), Risky (1993), Miss Stamper (1996), Presto Vento (2002), If Paradise (2003), Lady Livius (2005) and Monsieur Chevalier (2009). Richard Hannon Junior has maintained strong family ties with this race by adding a further four victories, most notably with the high-class filly Tiggy Wiggy (2014).

The inaugural race was won by Paris House while Superstar Leo (2000) was another high-class sprinter to succeed here. She won the Flying Childers Stakes and was named European Champion Two-year-old filly of the year.

Geoffrey Freer Stakes

The Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes is for three-year-olds and over one mile and five furlongs. The race was established in 1949 as the Oxfordshire Stakes and was renamed 20 years’ later after the former manager of Newbury racecourse.

The Geoffrey Freer Stakes has featured St Leger winners including Silver Patriarch (1999) and Sixties Icon (2008). Mubtaker won the race for three successive seasons from 2002 to 2004, trained by Marcus Tregoning and ridden by Richard Hills. He was beaten a neck by Lochbuie in 2005 when attempting a record fourth victory. His other notable performances include finishing second in the 2003 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and fourth in the 2004 Canadian International.

Hukum, trained by Owen Burrows and ridden by Jim Crowley, carried the same colours to victory in this race in 2020 and 2021. Both horses were owned by the Shadwell Estate, the horse racing operation of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Famous Newbury Jockeys

Leading jockeys on the flat at Newbury in recent times include Frankie Dettori, Jim Crowley and William Buick. Riders over jumps to excel here include Harry Cobden and Nico de Boinville, largely fuelled by the powerful stables of Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson respectively.

Dettori has won the Lockinge Stakes five times, just one short of Lester Piggott’s record in the race. Dettori has won it on Emperor Jones (1994), Aljabr (2000), Creachadoir (2008), Olympic Glory (2014) and Palace Pier (2021). De Boinville’s most notable Newbury victories include three successive Game Spirit Chase’s aboard Henderson’s Altior (2017-2019).

Staying at the Newbury Racecourse and How to Get There

Newbury Racecourse is in the parish of Greenham in Berkshire, less than 20 miles from the training centre of Lambourn. Motorists should follow signs from Junctions 12 and 13 from the M4 and the A34.

If you are planning on taking the train to Newbury racecourse, the venue has its own railway station. Newbury Racecourse Station is one stop from Newbury Station and there are frequent trains running direct from London Paddington and the west on all race days. For air travellers, Newbury racetrack is within an hour’s drive of Heathrow and Southampton airports.

Newbury accommodation is available at the Newbury Racecourse Lodge Hotel with 36 ensuite bedrooms. The Lodge is close to the heart of the Racecourse estate and provides excellent rooms and great service in a modern boutique hotel. You can check availability and book directly through the Newbury racecourse website.

FAQs

Can I wear jeans to Newbury races?

Smart denim jeans are acceptable at Newbury racecourse, but they must not be ripped. Football or sports team shirts are not allowed. Racegoers are encouraged to wear smart clothing if attending the Premier Enclosure.

Is there parking at Newbury racecourse?

There is car parking for 3,700 cars at Newbury racecourse with attendants there to direct you. All car parking at Newbury races is free. If arriving by taxi, the drop off and pick up points are opposite the main car park.

Can you take food into Newbury racecourse?

Picnicking is permitted in the car parks but you are not allowed to bring food and drink into the enclosures. You are allowed to take manufacturer sealed water bottles of 500ml or less. There are several food and drink outlets within the Newbury racecourse.

What is the dress code at Newbury races?

Newbury racegoers are encouraged to wear smart attire in the Premier Enclosure. There is a more relaxed dress code in the Grandstand Enclosure and Racegoers Restaurant. Trainers and shorts are frowned upon.

How far away is the course from the town?

Newbury racecourse is just two miles from the town. It is only a fifteen to twenty minute walk from the town centre. There are excellent shopping and leisure facilities in Newbury and there are frequent buses to the track on race days.