The Best Racetracks in Yorkshire

Arguably Yorkshire is the county in the UK regarded as the most passionate about horse racing. There are 9 courses within the county and in excess of 170 race meetings per year.

You are spoilt for choice with a fantastic choice of both flat and jumps tracks, but which are the ones not to be missed?

Doncaster

Home of the famous St Ledger race, Doncaster is one of the oldest racing venues in the country, hosting 36 meets per year. This racetrack also starts and ends the flat season on turf every year.

The St Ledger Race is part of the 4 day St Ledger festival which is a premier date on the Autumn sporting calendar; which is underlined by the huge spike in betting activity on Unibet and other betting sites covering horse racing. It is also one of only two tracks within Yorkshire to offer both flat and jump racing.

Beverley

Racing at Beverley has been occurring since 1690 in the beautiful area of Westwood and is the only racetrack located in East Yorkshire.

It is a right handed track that spans over 1 mile and 3 furlongs, with an uphill finish and tight turns. A trip here is a great day out, that the residents of Beverley have been proud of for more than 300 years and it is clear why.

York

York really does live up to its reputation as the ‘Ascot of the North’ and even hosted Ascot in 2005 when the racetrack down South was unavailable for the annual meeting. The flat racing course and its fantastic facilities are a must visit.

This course is the third biggest in terms of prize money offered country wide and sees more than 350,000 visitors per year. Racing within the city of York dates as far back as to the Roman times and the racecourse here really does keep that tradition alive in a fantastic way.

Pontefract

Pontefract is a thoroughbred course located within West Yorkshire. The track started out as a 1.5 mile horseshoe, but then in 1983 it was converted into a full 2 mile circuit, making it one of the longest flat racing circuits in Europe.

Pontefract prides itself on its catering services offered to guests and this is something not to be missed if you take a trip here, they have a fantastic range of quality food on offer. That is not surprising given that Pontefract is home to the iconic, rich Pontefract cakes.

Wetherby

Wetherby is the only track in Yorkshire that is used exclusively for National Hunt Jumps and been only 12 miles from the city of Leeds is easily accessible. The season here runs from October to May and typically features 17 fixtures. A definite fixture not to be missed here is the Christmas meeting, which takes place every year on the 26^th and 27^th December.

It brings families and friends together over the festive season, to celebrate together and cheer on their favoured horse to a victory and hopefully pay off some of the Christmas debts with a nice win!