Cartmel Racecourse is situated in the picturesque medieval village of Cartmel, on the edge of the Lake District, in Cumbria. Horseracing first took place at Cartmel in 1856 and, originally, was limited to just one fixture a year, on Whit Monday. Nowadays, Cartmel still only stages seven fixtures a year, but boasts a modern grandstand, restaurant and hospitality facilities.
Course Characteristics
Cartmel is a left-handed, sharp, undulating oval, bisected by the finishing straight. There are just six, stiff fences, or four hurdles, on each circuit of the track, which is only just over a mile in circumference. Cartmel has the distinction of having the longest run-in of any National Hunt course in the country, at half a mile. The idiosyncrasies of Cartmel often produce course specialists.
Track Facts
By far the most famous event in the history of Cartmel racecourse was an attempted betting coup in August 1974, which became known as the “Gay Future Affair.” Essentially, a diverse cast of characters, who became known as the “Cork Mafia”, attempted to defraud bookmakers by substituting one horse for another. The substitute won by 15 lengths at 10/1, but the coup was discovered, bookmakers refused to pay out and the ringleaders were eventually warned off for 10 years.
Cartmel staged a two-day fixture in July, featuring the inaugural running of the Cumbria Crystal Trophy Handicap Hurdle, for the first time in 2012.