Catterick Racecourse

Catterick Racecourse  Catterick Racecourse, also known as Catterick Bridge, has stood in its current location, in the Richmond district of North Yorkshire since 1783. The first grandstand, evidence of which still remains, was built in 1906 and, under the auspices of the Catterick Racecourse Company, formed in 1923, Catterick has continued to flourish right up to the present day. Today, Catterick hosts 27 Flat and National Hunt fixtures each year.

 

Course Characteristics

The round course at Catterick is a left-handed, oval, just over mile around and characterised by pronounced undulations and sharp turns. The last seven furlongs of the round course, including the sharp turn into the three-furlong straight, are downhill as is the whole of the five-furlong straight course.

The National Hunt course features eight, easy fences, or five hurdles, per circuit. Overall, Catterick can be classified as very sharp on the Flat and, although slightly less sharp over fences and hurdles, suits agile, nimble horses rather than their big, long-striding counterparts.

 

Track Facts

The most valuable Flat race run at Catterick, the Catterick Dash, is one the shortest, at 5 furlongs, while the most valuable National Hunt race, the North Yorkshire Grand National, is the longest, at 3 miles 6 furlongs.

Five-time champion jockey Willie Carson, rode his first winner, Pinker’s Pond, at Catterick in 1962.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey Ridley Lamb rode his first winner, White Speck, at Catterick in 1971, at the age of just 15.

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