In short, the ‘viaduct side’ is a feature of Chester Racecourse in Cheshire, North West England. Established in 1539, Chester has the distinction of being the oldest racecourse still in operation anywhere in the world and its sharp, left-handed circuit, which is just over a mile in circumference, is the smallest in Britain. The racecourse site occupies 65 acres on the northern bank of the River Dee and flanks the Chester City Walls along the eastern edge.

The northwestern side of the course, though, is dominated by a striking feat of Victorian engineering, in the form of the Roodee Viaduct. The viaduct, which measures 108 feet in length, was built, along with the nearby Dee Bridge, in the middle of the nineteenth century to carry the Chester-Holyhead railway line across the River Dee. The original, cast iron Dee Bridge was opened for local traffic in 1846, but the following May was the site of the Dee Bridge disaster, when a locomotive plunged into the river, resulting in the death of five people and serious injury to nine more.

The Dee Bridge was subsequently rebuilt using wrought iron lattice girders, but the Roodee Viaduct has stood the test of time. Of course, Chester Racecourse is on the turn almost throughout, but the viaduct runs parallel to the course from the chute that marks the 7 furlongs and 122 yards start to the 6 furlong and 18 yards start, at which point the course turns eastward to run along the banks of the River Dee. Of course, from a practical point of view, the Roodee Viaduct and the refurbished Dee Bridge link Chester Racecourse with Curzon Park, a residential suburb on the southerm banks of the Dee. Nevertheless, the Roodee Viaduct remains an instantly recognisable landmark in the Roodee landscape.

The organisation that became the Horserace Totalisor Board, a.k.a. the Tote, was originally created, as the Racehorse Betting Control Board, by then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Winston Churchill, in 1928. His intention was to provide an alternative to illegal off-course betting and to ensure that money from betting was put back into horse racing. The responsibility for the latter passed to the Horserace Betting Levy Board, established by the Betting Levy Act 1961 to compensate the sport for any losses following the legalisation of off-course betting shops, leading to the name change.

Nevertheless, the Tote remained a state-owned, state-controlled organisation until July 2011, when, under the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government, it was sold, along with its betting shop estate, to Betfred, the bookmaking chain founded by British billionaire businessman Fred Done, for a reported £265 million. In May 2018, a consortium of investors known as the UK Tote Group bought a 25% stake in the Tote for a reported £20 million and, in October 2019, announced that it had completed the acquisition of the organisation, minus its betting shops, for a reported £115 million.

As far as the first British racecourse to have a Tote facility is concerned, there is a certain irony in the fact that on July 2, 1929 – just a month or after Churchill had retained his Epping seat, but nonetheless been ousted from office – Carlisle Racecourse operated Tote betting for the first time anywhere in Britain. Of course, Tote betting is not for everyone, granted that, as in all forms of pool betting, punters cannot determine the odds of return when striking a bet, but, even so, remains at least as popular as ever with racegoers, especially those who wish, for whatever reason, to avoid the betting ring.

Located in the parish of Eadstown, Punchestown Racecourse is in County Kildare, Ireland. Dating back to 1875, this right-handed National Hunt racecourse, covers a distance of 1m 6f for the hurdles and 2m steeplechases. It is unique in Ireland for having a cross country banks course. Also, highlighted on the Racing Calendar for the 5-day Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival which is held annually in April. Major races include: Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and the Punchestown God Cup. The course features 17 high-quality fixtures every year.

The Gold Cup dates back to 1999 racing over a distance of 3m 120y. Total prize money of 250,000 (Euros) has seen some very talented winners including Neptune Collognes (2007, 2008). Trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh have impressive wins in this race.

The Punchestown Festival is similar to the prestige of the Cheltenham Festival in England. Attendance has reached over 40,000.

The course features 12 Grade 1 races throughout the season including: The Ryanair Novice Chase over 2 miles and open to horses aged 5 and over.

Ladies Dy is very popular and takes place from late April to early May. Winning prize includes flights to Paris, five-star hotel, Michelin star dining, private chauffeur and champagne Bollinger experience and private tour of vineyard and gardens.

Alongside horse racing, Punchestown hosts many music festivals including: The annual Oxygen Festival 2004 – 2013. Other music festivals have seen stars such as U2, Westlife, AC/DC, Bon Jovi & Radiohead.

The maximum capacity for concerts is 80,000.

In addition, it is the home of the International Three Day Event & Horse Show dedicated to show jumping.

Puchestown has a couple of landmarks worth seeing including Craddockstown West Standing Stone. A huge megalithic stone situated opposite Punchestown racecourse and Punchestown Standing Stone which is a National Monument near Naas. Known as the Longstone is made of granite and stands seven metres high and weighs over nine tonnes.

If you are looking for a touch of luxury why not enjoy a stay at Killashee Hotel.

For more information contact Punchestown Racecourse via email: info@punchestown.com or on their social media.

A truly unique racecourse – Laytown. Situated in County Meath, Ireland, this village overlooking the Irish Sea is a beautiful location which sees horses race on the beach. Historically, the place was called Ninch.

Racing dates back to 1868.

Laytown racecourse is unique being raced on the beach to the sound of crashing wave and smell of salty air. This Flat racing event, over a straight course, which covers a distance of either 6 or 7-furlongs has a long and prestigious history. The old course – pre-1994 – which followed a horseshoe shape allowed racegoers to get close to the action with races taking place over distances from 5f – 2m.

In fact, there is just one race meeting which takes place every September with seven-race card and total prize money about £40,000. Racing takes place under the rules and regulations of Horse Racing Ireland. Such is its popularity the BBC made a documentary: Racing The Tide.

Also, there is a great publication about Laytown Races by historians John Kirwan and Fiona Ahern: Laytown Strand Races: Celebrating 150 Years.

In 1994, there was an incident where a horse ran into the crowd which saw both horses and spectators injured this led to future race meetings abandoned for a few years. However, they returned with heightened safety measure including spectators watching racing from adjacent fields. Each year a crowd of over 5,000 enjoy Laytown races.

Laytown is a scenic location with many landmarks and attractions including Mornington Manor, Millifont Abbey & Slane Castle.

It has delightful racing fans since the mid 19^th Century and attended by famous jockeys and even royalty. In fact, history has seen very little stop this meeting from taking place apart from world wars and Coronavirus.

There is something very natural about horses running on beaches. Although this meeting isn’t quite the same as its heyday, it is still one of the most famous racing venues anywhere in the world. If you want to enjoy a truly memorable race day then Laytown has to feature on your bucket list. The combination of a racing spectacle and Irish hospitality is sure to fill your heart with joy.