Horse Racing Meetings: September Week 2 Review

When it comes to horse racing, it is hard to overestimate the place it holds in the sport life of Great Britain. One of the longest established spectator sports in the country, horse racing has been known and enjoyed since the Roman empire, and held its popularity until the present day.

According to historical accounts, before the Romans came to the island, horses were used mainly to carry loads. While there are no direct records of the first race being organized by the Romans, historians have discovered racecourses that date to that period. Many of them believe that Romans held races to match the local horses with the Arabians they brought with them. 

Horse Racing Meetings: September Week 2 Review

With the first recorded race meetings going back to the 12th century during the reign of king Henry II, information on both races and tournaments kept appearing in historical documents. Many kings of England have been reported to keep “running horses”.

Today Britain holds an important place in the international horse racing arena as home to some of the most outstanding races like The Grand National, The Derby and many others.  

Horse Racing Types Popular in Great Britain

While there are various types of horse racing popular worldwide, the two main types organized in Great Britain are flat racing and National Hunt racing. Usually, races are categorized based on their distance, obstacles, surface, and other factors. In certain cases, only specific breeds are admitted to one type of race because they are believed to be a better fit. 

The main characteristics of the two popular race types in Great Britain are as follows:

• Flat racing is a set between two points. Distances run from 5 furlongs and 2 miles 5 furlongs 159 yards. The word “flat” in the name implies that there are no obstacles on the course. Surfaces may vary but usually take place on turf.
• National Hunt racing can be anywhere between 2 miles and 4.5 miles. Here horses are required to jump over hurdles or fences (in which case the race is often referred to as a steeplechase). 

Other race types, such as harness racing, saddle trot racing, or endurance racing, are more infrequent. All sport events in this field are governed by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). 

Horse Race Meetings: Weekly Review

With 60 licensed racecourses, six out of them having all-weather tracks, there is always a race for the sport enthusiasts to enjoy. As race meetings usually last over a course of two or more days, with several races taking place at the same venue, they tend to turn into multifaceted social events.

As we close the second week of September, let’s dive into the developments of various horse race meetings that were held across the country between 9 and 15 September.

Lingfield Park (10-11 September)

Located amidst the incredible nature of Surrey, this racecourse hosts races throughout the year. This Tuesday and Wednesday the world class tracks of Lingfield Park welcomed eight races per day. On Tuesday Cody Watkins and Fergus Sweeney performed the roles of stewards, while Henry Pelly chaired the stewards’ panel. On Wednesday these positions were filled by Fergus Sweeney and Sophie Candy, and Lyn Williams respectively.

The results of the Tuesday, 10 September races were the following:

The results of the Wednesday, 11 September races were the following:

Doncaster (12-15 September)

Doncaster may be the only race course in South Yorkshire, but it is also the place where the world’s oldest Classic race, St. Ledger takes place as a part of Doncaster’s four-day September festival. From Thursday, 12 September to Sunday, 15 September, it hosted a combined total of 30 races: 8 on Thursday and Friday each, and 7 on Saturday and Sunday each. Steward and panel chair duties were performed as follows:

• Thursday: Greg Pearson, Shaun Parker, Simon Connaway, and Peter Heaton (chair). 
• Friday: Greg Pearson, Shaun Parker, Simon Connaway, and Rosie Pearson (chair).
• Saturday: Greg Pearson, Shaun Parker, Simon Connaway, and Peter Crafts (chair).
• Sunday: Greg Pearson, Shaun Parker, Simon Connaway, and Heather Kemp (chair).

The results of the Thursday, 12 September races were the following:

The results of the Friday, 13 September races were the following:

The results of the Saturday, 14 September races were the following:

The results of the Sunday, 15 September races were the following:

Chester (13-14 September)

Founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st century AD, Chester has a good chance of having seen Roman races. Its racecourse counts its history back to 1539, making it the oldest racecourse in Britain. On Friday, 13 September and Saturday, 14 September, it hosted 8 races per week. Louise Moore and Thomas Evetts were the stewards, while Jeremy Barlow chaired the panel on Friday. On Saturday these duties were performed by Guy Upton, Louise Moore, and Thomas Evetts, and Caroline (Tiddles) Tellwright respectively.

The results of the Friday, 13 September races were the following:

The results of the Saturday, 14 September races were the following:

Bath (14-15 September)

Overlooking the city of Bath from a hill top, this race course is the highest in Great Britain. A lot of the best British trainers choose this track to test their horses for the first time. Bath held a combined total of 15 races this weekend: 8 on Saturday, 14 September and 7 on Sunday, 15 September. On Saturday Fergus Sweeney and Sophie Candy performed the roles of stewards, with George Welch as the chair of the stewards’ panel. On Sunday these positions were filled by Fergus Sweeney and Steve Drowne, and Catherine Nash respectively.

The results of the Saturday, 14 September races were the following:

The results of the Sunday, 15 September races were the following:

Musselburgh (14-15 September)

Already active back in 1816 when races were conducted in the historical port of Edinburgh, nowadays Musselburgh has the status of a VisitScotland five star visitor attraction. This weekend, it held 7 races on Saturday, 14 September, and 7 races on Sunday, 15 September. The steward duties were performed by Adrian Sharpe and Adrian Smith, with John Wilson chairing the panel on Saturday. On Sunday these positions were filled by Adrian Sharpe and Adrian Smith, and Franki Clark respectively.

The results of the Saturday, 14 September races were the following:

The results of the Sunday, 15 September races were the following:

Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org