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I am sure this thread has been started before but, as a newbie to this Forum, I was interested to learn what courses others recommend for a day out. I and my family enjoy the course as much as the cards so facilities are important to me.
I have enticed non-racing enthusiasts to the racing and they have tended to enjoy fixtures at Perth and Hamilton (in the summer) rather than Ayr. I like Carlisle (all seasons) but not so Newcastle (stag and hen parties ruined the occasion admittedly).
Is anyone able to recommend courses in the north or midlands that may best represent a small course feel with decent cards and facilities? I was tempted to suggest Thirsk as an option?
Ripon is one of the Northern courses I really enjoy visiting.
Agree with you re Newcastle and I am not fond of Your for the same reason, despite teh standard of racing usually being pretty good.
Of the jumping courses Hexham has a good atmosphere.
Can’t think who, Colin.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Lovely sticky toffee pudding in Cartmel. Jimmy Moffatt’s stables on the side of the mountain. Didn’t realise there was a racecourse there though…..
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Prettiest jumps course that I have visited in Europe is Merano in Italy, and the most challenging is Downpatrick in Northern Ireland.
Hoping to go to Merano later in the year – provided it’s near a big city for OH’s shopping trips.
Auteuil is recommended and easy to get to – top class racing and some unique fences. Also for a course that looks remarkably like Cheltenham in layout (Best Mate enclosure, stand etc.) try Enghien – both doable in a day from London airports too or on Eurostar
Perth for the Festival in April and the midweek afternoon meetings, though the crowds become a bit of a pain for the Sundays and evening meetings.
Hexham’s a great place to go if you enjoy your jumping, but wrap up warm and be prepared to get wet if it rains.
Hamilton Park is a pleasant venue in the summer. Plenty of space to cope with good size crowds and the viewing is excellent from stands or even the sloping ground in front.
For something a little different try Bellewstown in Ireland, They only hold five days racing a year, but it’s a delightful little venue and a really enthusiastic crowd.
I’ve enjoyed Newcastle when I’ve been there, and guess I must have picked the right days.
I arrived back from Mannheim earlier this morning, and to be honest, I think I’m still in shock! Not only the mile walk across farmland to get to the course itself, but on arrival, one is greeted with a figure of 8 chase course of varying obstacles on the inside of a 6 furlong round flat course! If you took the cross country course at Pau and tried to cram it into the middle of Chester racecourse, you would probably end up with something like this! Probably not for the chasing purists amongst you, but an incredibly fun course to visit.
There is a video of yesterdays steeplechase online, but I couldn’t get it to work myself:
http://www.racebets.com/index.php?mod=V … deo=186221
If anyone can get it working, you’ll see the complex amount of twists and turns, making for a really great spectacle. Not only that, the staff there are some of the friendliest I’ve ever met, it’s well organised, and surely it’s the only place you’ll see the chairman of the racecourse actually have runners as a trainer!!
Apart from Mannheim, Baden-Baden is a great course to visit (cheap flights from Stansted with Ryanair), and Waregem in Belgium is something else, and reachable by Eurostar.
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
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