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Like Sal, I’m with Adrian. For a racing fan, Newmarket is well worth a visit, particularly if you spend time on the gallops and visit the Museum and the National Stud. If you’re into racing books and videos, Tyndals bookshop in the High Street has a good range of new and second hand books.
My wife and I are members at Newmarket so we go racing there a lot. A personal view is avoid music nights like the plague. They are packed out, you could spend ages queing for a drink in the bars, there’s little chance of seeing a race because the grandstands are full of people who are parked there for the evening so they can watch the performance in comfort and by the time of the 5th race it’s nigh imposible to get from the parade ring to the bookies because of the crowds gathered in front of the stage.
Weekday meetings are fine though, should be able to get in one of the grandstands no trouble.<br>Another nice pub is the Affleck Arms in Dalham, though I think they do food only Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
richard
Well after living just outside Newmarket for 22 years, i cannot stand the town.
Adrian, the hotels you listed cost a fortune, unless you know people who work at either of the big ones.
The Yard is a very good pub to go, but its only small and many of the deniros ‘fan club’ have started to use The Yard as the last stop so they are close to the club and can see how busy it getting.
The restaurants aren’t the best, but the pubs in the surrounding villages for food are uaully very good. Adrian mentioned The Star at Lidgate, very, very good food and slightly different but is quite pricey.
I’m not a fan of the racecourse(s)………… they lack atmosphere of other places and everything seems much more expensive from other tracks. For a group one track it is lacking IMO.
The town does change in the summer, granted……. the chavs seem to go into hiding and it is far more pleasant.
The morning is the best time to see the town, park up on Moulton Road, but don’t toodle down there at 10mph…….. that is the main route into to town from where i live and that really gets on my nerves.
If you do come be prepared for things to be quite pricey, but if your friends arent that interested in the racing side of things that much….. Newmarket might not be the place to go.
Adrian, what pubs might i be seeing you in, in the future.
Dont ever go to Musselburgh for a night out! Or Hamilton for that matter. Infact no courses in Scotland. Why dont you head to the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. Top day out and plenty of fun to be had in town after it….
This thread beats David Ashforth’s ‘Racecourse Tour’ and The Times’ ‘Course Inspector’ !
Amazing how the same place evokes such contrasting opinion! I suppose it’s what you want from a course.
I have to say that viewing is not something that bothered me at the Rowley Mile. At most courses I’ll watch the screen while the field are down the back straight so I only tend to watch the ‘live’ action when they swing into the straight so seeing just the final 2f at Newmarket isn’t a problem, in fact anything in the world is better than Longchamp’s sprint track :o
I think CliveX sums up the RM well, it does feel like the centre of the racing world.
I’ve been reliably informed by my mate in Cambridge that I have actually been to De Niros. He lived in Cambridge for 4 years and went out in Newmarket once, with me apparently, and didn’t go back! My mind does not recollect this experience.
To be honest I think familiarity may breed contempt. I live near Chester/Aintree/Haydock and don’t think too much of any of them. When you go on a weekend away to a distant racecourse it always seems to be better becasue it’s something new and you’re effectively on holiday !
<br>I’ve whittled the list down to York Ebor, Galway Festival (thurs-sat), Northumberland Plate or the July Meeting. Goodwood is a bit of a mission from the Wirral and maybe one to take the Mrs to in due course.
Underscore, I’ve never been to Scotland and imagine you don’t work for their tourist board :biggrin:
Stormont,
I agree the hotels are pricey but no more so than in other towns and I don’t know ToneLoc’s budget. As I said there are loads of much cheaper B and Bs such as one that we put people in up the Bury Road.
The local Tourist Board does a good brochure – Explore Newmarket and Ely – which lists details and prices of all establishments.
The Yard is divided basically into the Irish on the right and the others on the left – take your pick. I sometimes go straight from work so don’t see the clubbing element.
For lunch the Waggon and Horses as it is well priced. I used to go to the Bushel (it was the racing hang out for Tatts/agents etc) when I was your age but haven’t been for many years.
I think anybody visiting Newmarket for a day trip/night would get a kick out of if they like racing. It usually blows peoples minds to see all the strings of horses just ambling across the main roads in and out of town.
I particularly like going down to watch horses work on the Limekilns or Al Bahathri in early Summer when all the big strings are preparing for Epsom or Royal Ascot.
I also think we shouldn’t be too dismissive of the Newmarket Nights. I know it is not for purists but the weather is usually great then and the packed crowds add to the atmosphere. If you look on peoples blogs they often say how much they loved going to Newmarket races – even if they only reason they went in the first place was to see McFly!
The Newmarket courses aren’t my favourite due to the nature of the viewing (and it’s always cold on the Rowley Mile), but the July course has a good feel to it on a warm summer’s afternoon, and the town itself definitely needs visiting at least once for the racing-obsessive. It’s quite unique.
However during my stay in Newmarket last summer there were a fair few chavs (although they’re everywhere) and the nightlife is uninspiring after a while. De Niro’s was, let’s just say, interesting!:o
I don’t know whether I’d choose to live there to be honest, but the surrounding countryside is fantastic – horses and trees everywhere – even if it is a little bit flat.
Toneloc
Make sure you go to Goodwood though. Apart from the stunning setting and the unique configeration, its a suprisingly comfortable course (i usually go first couple of days of glorious) and they have not taken the punters for granted. And so many places to stay nearby of course
Definately worth the trip :)
Well I’ve checked a fair few of the places mentioned on here and only ‘The White Hart’ can accommodate the days we plan to visit.
I notice it is conspicuous by it’s absence from Adrian’s list… Anyone stayed here and recommend it?
Quote: from ToneLoc on 4:27 pm on Feb. 7, 2007[br]Well I’ve checked a fair few of the places mentioned on here and only ‘The White Hart’ can accommodate the days we plan to visit.
I notice it is conspicuous by it’s absence from Adrian’s list… Anyone stayed here and recommend it?
Strange that the other places are already booked out? Did you ring them or check online? May be worth ringing just to double check.
I have never stayed there but i have never heard complaints about it, but it all depends on what you are expecting i suppose.
It wouldn’t be the best place you have ever stayed in, but the bar downstairs is fairly good and quite modern although very, very busy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Have you checked around B&Bs and local pubs?
The White Hart used to be a prestigious old fashioned hotel. However about 10 years ago they ripped out all the downstairs areas and turned it into a large bar area which is always busy at weekends and racing times (although reasonably quiet at other times).
I’m sure the rooms will be fine and, if you don’t mind the noise, should work out OK. It is right in the middle of the High Street opposite the Jockey Club and 50 yards from my office!
Well we’re unlikely to spend more than 6 hours a night in the hotel to be honest so the idea is to keep costs down on the accommodation front.
Especially since there’s no guarantee we’ll leave the track with wallets intact :cool:
<br>I usually stop at Dullingham to eat on my way to Newmarket if going during the week. Food is OK in the Kings Head. The Beer is better in the Boot.
Best to go in the Members at the July course. Its a long walk around otherwise.
As to accommodation, I would say its better to stay in Cambridge. Get the bus to the course.<br>
Stayed for the night in The Rutland a couple of weeks back when we went to see Taj and co and it’s a perfectly adequate hotel and reasonably priced.
Having went to newmarket on the Guinneas w/end on a few occasions with friends, We really enjoyed ourselves, thought Newmarket town was great for a horse racing fan what else do you want ?.<br>We did have one major snag having booked ourselves in with the proprietor of the pub we were staying in, for us to come back the following year, to our amazement when we arrive a year later the pub had a new landlord who had our rooms already occupied, after plenty of argument we reluctantly decided to take his offer to stay in a place in Ely which he managed to get us after about 20 phone calls as the rest of Newmarket was booked out. Apart from the Cathedral avoid Ely at all costs, Boring would be doing it justice. <br>I have been going to Cheltenham for the last few years as I am again this year but my visits across the water have been drastically curtailed with the strength of Sterling against the Euro. From a British persons point of view, you should be making hay while the sun shines with the strong Sterling you should be coming to Ireland as regulary as you can to sample the unique atmosphere of the Irish race meetings. The Curragh and Punchestown are my local courses, so why not try the Punchestown festival and the Curragh Derby w/end great meetings, and if your over ? drop into my local Mc Donnells pub in Newbridge for a pint or two after racing  there is 2 bookie shops within 50 metres of it either side. Newbridge been next door to the huge expanse of the Curragh plains where 25% of all Horses in Ireland are trained, so its something similar to Newmarket only difference you wont see the horses crossing the street.<br>Try staying in the Keadeen hotel in Newbridge which was actually built on or adjacent to the famous Darkie Prendergasts training establishment, and is right next door to the Aga Khans Ballymany stud where a certain horse called Shergar was kidnapped.
(Edited by madman marz at 11:27 pm on Feb. 7, 2007)
I agree with Madman (are we on first name terms?) in that you should avoid Ely and consider Cambridge or Bury if forced out of Newmarket. Alternatives are the Quy Mill Hotel (half way from N’kt to Cambridge and handy for A14) or the beautiful Ickworth Hotel if you are rich and maybe have kids (it specialises in families).
I’d also back him up on trips to Ireland. In November 10 of us went over to Fairyhouse to see Beef of Salmon’s first run of the season. The course did us a deal for 100 Euros (about 70quid) whereby we got our own private box with 3 course meal and racecards, transfers from the airport and bed and breakfast at a nice hotel in Ashbourne. Best deal of all time and tremendous fun (especially as we added a night at the Lansdowne Road rugby and Sunday at a point to point to complete the weekend.
<br>
Do you think the powers that be at Newmarket would do something similar Adrian? :biggrin:
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