- This topic has 43 replies, 36 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Top 5 (in no particular order):
York
Cheltenham
Ascot (flat course)
Epsom
AintreeWorst 5 (in no particular order):
Newmarket
Goodwood
Chester
Sandown (jumps)
PunchestownAfter 3 edits, that’s my final selections. Was split between Sandown and Lingfield for the bottom 5.
Favourites:
1. Newcastle AW
2. Cheltenham
3. Towcester
4. Wincanton
5. Southwell AWLeast favourite:
1. Chester (so unfair on 80% of runners)
2. Musselburgh (diabolical surface and pace bias)
3. Haydock (joke fences and Kirkland Tellwright)
4. Sandown (unsafe surface)
5. Bath (music nights, awful surface)I’ve never been to any British tracks so purely from watching on TV these are mine (excluding Irish)
Top 5:
Cartmel
Cheltenham
Sandown jumps
Uttoxeter
FakenhamBottom 5:
Chepstow
Lingfield
Southwell
Bath
WetherbyIrish:
Top 5:
Listowel
Ballinrobe
Killarney
Leopardstown
ThurlesBottom 5:
Kilbeggan
Tipperary
Dundalk
Limerick
CorkI’ve never been to any British tracks so purely from watching on TV these are mine (excluding Irish)
Top 5:
Cartmel
Cheltenham
Sandown jumps
Uttoxeter
FakenhamBottom 5:
Chepstow
Lingfield
Southwell
Bath
WetherbyIrish:
Top 5:
Listowel
Ballinrobe
Killarney
Leopardstown
ThurlesBottom 5:
Kilbeggan
Tipperary
Dundalk
Limerick
CorkI’ve not been to loads of tracks either. Dundalk is a cracking shout.
Hate that place based on at the races.
Haydock another good shout on this thread too.
Favs:
Exeter
Leicester
Worcester
Epsom
WetherbyNot keen:
Chelmsford
Bath
Beverley
Taunton
StratfordFavourites
Kelso
Sandown
Hamilton
Fontwell
CartmelLeast Favourite
Stratford (dreadful viewing and obnoxious staff)
Newmarket (talk amongst yourselves for the first half of the race)
Epsom (soulless on all bar Derby day and the camber makes for messy racing)I’m hard pressed to think of any others that I’m really not keen on, though Musselburgh have dropped a bit in my estimation as they are over priced and take their customers for granted (surface is excellent though, contrary to comment above)
Favourites
Yarmouth, childhood memories
Goodwood
York
Ascot
Pontefract, only course where I can find a winnerLeast Favourite
Newmarket
Chester
Epsom
Leicester
Ffos LasMy favourite track is Towcester.
My least-favourite track is You’re Beautiful by James Blunt.
Mike
I’d easily say Sandown is the best racecourse. Brilliant viewing track and the standard of racing is second to none. Lovely pre-parade and parade ring.
You can’t really find much fault with Epsom, Newmarket, Cheltenham or Ascot but then Ascot do need to look at their prices, especially for the Royal meeting (£80!!!!).
Brighton is high up on my list – a thoroughly enjoyable track to visit on a nice summer’s day, I’d say it’s slightly better than Salisbury.
I only ventured to York once (2012 Ebor meeting) as it’s the other end of the county to me but that’s right up there among the best 2 or 3 in the country.
I’m not too keen on Bath, the facilities aren’t great and the viewing isn’t as good with the new stand. I go to Newbury very often and the track itself if great, especially for jumping. But I don’t like all the flats built right on the course, they hold far too many maiden races and I can’t stand the type of drunkards who cause trouble there all the time (I had someone try to nick my binoculars one day) and nobody stops anyone bring beer onto the grandstand like they do at Goodwood.
I don’t like Goodwood as much as I did – again partly due to obscene prices and the standard of racing dropping – they host maidens at Glorious Goodwood for heaven’s sake.
Exeter is a poor viewing track and Chelmsford is even worse.
My top five favourites are
EPSOM
NEWMARKET
ASCOT
GOODWOOD
PONTEFRACTMy least faves are
LEICESTER
WARWICK
LINGFIELD
MARKET RASEN
WOLVERHAMPTONEpsom because every time I get off the train and walk up that hill and see the course it is emotional!!
Newmarket because it is home of racin
Ascot cos it is fabulous with that ne wstand!
Goodwood cos it is beautiful
Pontefract cos I love it there and it is only down the roadLeicester I dislike which is odd considering I was born there and it was the first course I ever went to but it has no atmosphere and half the time they can’t even be bothered to have a big screen
Warwick cos the viewing is awful!!
Lingfield because it is grim all weather fair
Market Rasen because we went on the inside once and they even but advertising hoarding up so unless you were ten feet tall you couldn’t see a damned thing
Wolverhampton all weather enough said!!I have only been to five tracks. Nottingham is my favourite of the five. I went there for the two day meeting ten days or so ago. I like the layout of the place including where there are some bookies up some little steps. The food outlets are good and the food is nice, it’s easy to get a drink. The staff are very friendly, the paddock is nice and right by the racetrack pretty much. Nice size for my liking.
York for a group 1 track was a bit disappointing. Don’t get me wrong it’s nice enough but the food choice there I found was limited and it may have been just the weather on the day but it was windy as hell when I went.
Cheltenham is good but the sheer number of people there can cause a problem getting around. I haven’t been since they built the new grandstand so I expect it may be better now.
Warwick, like York is a constant wind tunnel, viewing not great.
Bath was a nice enough little track when I went there a couple of years ago but a bit basic as I suppose you’d expect from a small racecourse.
In order most to least favourite:
Nottingham
Cheltenham
York
Bath
WarwickI haven’t been to many tracks, but I plan on visiting them all when I retire. (Well the NH ones).
ADORE
Newton Abbot – great memories of my teenage years. used to stand in inside of the track, loved those days and the views you would get.
Devon & Exeter
Wolverhampton NH (back in the day). Used to sneak in on the back straight in my student days, stand by a hurdle miles away from the stand and chat to the safety guys there. Loved it.OK
Warwick – went there about 10 years ago. Very much enjoyed.AWFUL
Southwell NH. Obv never been for the AW. The NH track has too many accidents, but I do like the paddock and winning post being accesible to the general public.CANNOT CATEGORISE
Aintree (GN). Went on the Monday in 1997. Really enjoyed being there, was one of the last to leave in fact! Just milled around afterwards taking it all in, though disappointed could not walk the course. the horse I backed, General Wolfe, finished miles behind (16th/17) but I always recall that every horse got cheered home, even the pulled ups as they walked back in. And the deaths of Smith’s Band and Straight Talk totally out a dampener on it for me and I lost interest in NH racing for a long while after that as I felt guilty about having enjoyed the day without knowing about those deaths.I’ve only been to one flat meeting, at Wolverhampton pre-AW. Races over too quickly for me, lot of hanging around. Didn’t enjoy and have never really liked flat, apart from sprint handicaps like the Wokingham and Ayr Gold Cup.
Favourite for both flat and national hunt is Newbury.
Honourable mentions go to Warwick, Goodwood, Cheltenham and York.
Least favourite is anything all weather – generally poor quality fare and no atmosphere.Top Five
Fontwell – where I first went racing. Quirky and being in the centre of the course for a chase is brilliant
Ascot – pure class, great racing
Cartmel – OK viewing is pretty rubbish but a great atmosphere
Cheltenham – top class racing, good viewing although a bit too crowded at the festival
Hexham – great grass roots NH racing and in a stunning settingJust missed out Ludlow – just for the lovely, quirky grandstand
Bottom Five
Chester – my vision of racing hell, totally unfair track and full of pissheads
Wolverhampton – depressing, no atmosphere (apart from Saturday nights)
Bath – usually terrible going and full of pissheads
Chepstow – an equine roller-coaster, rubbish viewing and full of pissheads
Newmarket Rowley – soulless, concrete monstrosity and appalling viewing (the July course is only redeemed by a lovely setting)Just missing out York – overrated, overcrowded most meetings and most are not there for the racing
The “pisshead” factor is possibly worth factoring in.
In which case certain meetings at Haydock , Chester and York are “no brainers” as are Chepstow , and beer tent areas in the centre of Cartmel etc..
I should also add Chester to my earlier list of negatives, as, apart from the “pissheads” it is little more than a switchback dog track with extreme draw bias.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.