Hamilton Racecourse

Hamilton Racecourse was established in its current location, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1926. The Hamilton Park Racecourse Company Ltd. has recently invested heavily in improvements to the course, including extensive drainage work, after bad weather forced the abandonment of four fixtures in 2012. Hamilton stages 18 Flat fixtures between May and September each year.

 

 

Course Characteristics

The round course at Hamilton consists of a six furlong straight, which joins a right-handed loop at about halfway along its length. The 1 mile 5 furlong and 9 yard is actually beyond the winning post and runners proceed the “wrong” way up the home straight, around the loop and back towards the winning post. The distinct undulations tend to favour horses that race on, or close to, the pace, but the final three furlongs are uphill all the way to the winning post, so Hamilton presents a stiff test of stamina.

 

Track Facts

The Lanark Silver Bell, formerly run at Lanark racecourse, was resurrected at Hamilton in 2008. The original Silver Bell is believed to have been presented to the Royal Burgh of Lanark by King William I of Scotland in 1165.

The fact that Hamilton racecourse exists, at all, is due to the late Bill McHarg, often referred to as “Mr. Scottish Racing”. McHarg became managing director of Hamilton in 1973 and personally bought many of the shares in the course to rescue it from financial trouble.

In 1947, Hamilton was the first racecourse in Britain to stage an evening fixture.

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