Thirsk Racecourse is situated to the west of the town of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, in the direction of the village of Carlton Miniott. The first meeting was staged at the course, in its current location, in 1855 and the racecourse has continued to flourish ever since. Thirsk plays host to 14 Flat meetings throughout the season.

Course Characteristics

The round course at Thirsk is left-handed, fairly sharp oval, a mile and quarter in circumference, with a four furlong home straight. Perhaps surprisingly, for a perfectly level course with wide, easy bends, Thirsk tends to favours agile, handy types.The straight course, on which races up to six furlongs are run, starts on a chute that joins the round course at the top of the home straight. Horses drawn high, against the stands’ side rail, are massively favoured in races over five and six furlongs when the going is good or faster.

Track Facts

The Thirsk Hunt Cup, run over a mile in May, is the most valuable race on the Thirsk calendar.

Thirsk racecourse hosted the St. Leger, for the one and only time, in 1940.

Terimon, who finished second in the 1989 Derby at odds of 500/1, had just been touched off in the now defunct Thirsk Classic Trial earlier in the season.

The first official National Hunt meeting on Taunton Racecourse, in Orchard Portman, Somerset, took place in 1927, making the course the youngest of its kind in the country. Waste material created by the construction of the M5 Taunton Bypass in the 1970s was used to build up and extend the course and facilities for spectators have been similarly transformed over the years. Today, Taunton Racecourse plays host to 13 National Hunt meetings between November and April.

Course Characteristics

Taunton Racecourse is right-handed, sharp oval, about a mile and a quarter in around, with minor undulations throughout. There are seven fairly stiff fences, or five flights of hurdles, per circuit. On the steeplechase course, the ground falls away approaching the last fence, which can catch out the unwary, and the run-in is short. The clay soil drains well, so conditions rarely become testing, even in the depths of winter.

Track Facts

The Royal Box at Taunton was built in 1959 for the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. However, the visit was cancelled due to illness and the Queen Mother didn’t visit Taunton until 1962.

Rooster Booster, winner of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2003, won his first race at Taunton in January 2000.

The much publicised Hunt Ball, formerly owned by Anthony Knott, ran his last race in Britain at Taunton in April 2013.

Beverley Racecourse has stood on Beverley Westwood, overlooking the market town of Beverley, since 1690. In recent years, Beverley Racecourse has invested nearly half a million pounds, including £300,000 on a new sprinkler system and £75,000 on solar panels on the roof of the grandstand, to improve its facilities and infrastructure. For racegoers on the East Coast of England, Beverley operates a subsidised coach service, known as the “Beverley Racebus”, with pick-up points in Filey, Bridlington, Nafferton, Driffied and Middelton on the Wolds.

Course Characteristics

The round course at Beverley is a right-handed oval, nearly a mile and a half around. Although primarily galloping in character, the downhill turn into the home straight and the length of the straight – just two and a half furlongs – add sharpness to the round course. The straight course, on which 5-furlong races are run, is uphill all the way to the winning post and presents a stiff test of stamina, especially on soft going. Furthermore, the straight course bends to the right at halfway, offering horses drawn low, against the inside rail, a massive advantage in 5-furlong races.

Track Facts

Rapid Lad, a handicapper trained by John Spearing, won 12 races at Beverley between 1983 and 1989, but never won anywhere else. Beverley stages the Rapid Lad Handicap annually in his honour and one of the Tattersalls’ bars also bears his name.

Caspar Netscher, who returned to the racecourse in July 2013 after suffering subfertility problems at stud, landed a monster gamble on his debut at Beverley in May 2011, after being backed from 20/1 to 100/30 favourite.

Bordelescott, who also, coincidentally, came out of retirement as an 11-year-old in July, won one of the principal races at Beverley, the Beverley Bullet, over 5 furlongs, in September 2012.

Stratford Racecourse, situated in Shottery Meadow, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, has staged regular race meetings since 1849. More recently, in 1969, the course was enlarged and the bends made easier by reincorporating land that was originally part of the racecourse. More recently still, in 1997, a glass-fronted grandstand was opened. Stratford Racecourse stages 19 National Hunt meetings throughout the season.

Course Characteristics

Stratford Racecourse is a left-handed, sharp, flat triangle, approximately a mile and a quarter around. There are eight easy, fences – just one of which is in the short home straight – or five flights of hurdles per circuit and a run-in of 200 yards.

Track Facts

One of the highlights of the season at Stratford is The Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters’ Chase, run over 3 miles 4 furlongs in June.

The late Aubrey Brabazon, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Cottage Rake in 1948, 1949 and 1950, rode his last winner at Stratford in 1960.

The late Fred Winter trained his last winner at Stratford in 1988.