Lingfield Racecourse in Surrey, southeast England, was opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, in 1890. Originally a National Hunt venue, Lingfield Racecourse was granted permission to stage Flat racing in 1894 and, today, has the distinction of being a venue for Flat racing, on turf and all-weather, and National Hunt racing. Indeed, when the original Equitrack course opened in 1989, it was the first of its kind in the country; it was replaced with a superior Polytrack surface in 2001. Lingfield Racecourse stages 80 Flat and National Hunt fixtures throughout the year.
Course Characteristics
The turf course at Lingfield consists of seven furlong straight course, which is joined by a sharp, left-handed loop at the half mile marker to create the round course. From the mile and a half start, runners climb to the top of a slight hill before running downhill into the straight, as they do around Tattenham Corner at Epsom. The straight course is downhill, markedly so for the first three furlongs, and is very sharp. The round course on Polytrack is shorter and sharper than the turf course and sprint races are run around two bends, so early pace is all important.
The National Hunt course is left-handed, sharp, undulating triangle, about a mile and half around. There are nine easy fences, or six flights of hurdles, per circuit.
Track Facts
Gordon Richards, later Sir Gordon Richards, had his first ride in public at Lingfield as a 16-year-old in 1920. Richards brought his mount, Clockwork, on the train and walked him to the course from the railway station.
In 1932, Lingfield became the first racecourse to stage Oaks and Derby trials. April The Fifth, winner of the first Derby trial, went on to win the Derby.
The first all-weather meeting at Lingfield took place on October 30 1989.