Perth Racecourse

Perth Racecourse has stood in Scone Palace Park, on the banks of the River Tay in central Scotland, less than 50 miles north of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, since 1908. Today, Perth Racecourse has excellent modern facilities, but the track itself has changed very little since the first two-day fixture over a hundred years ago. Perth plays host to 14 National Hunt fixtures a year. In 2013, the opening fixture, the Perth Festival in April, celebrated 400 years of racing in Perth. On a similar note, the closing fixture of the season, the Glorious Finale in September, is one of the oldest fixtures on the Perth calendar.

 

Course Characteristics

Perth Racecourse is a right-handed, flat, trapezoid, approximately a mile and a quarter around. There are eight easy fences, or five flights of hurdles, per circuit and a long run-in. The fence immediately before the winning post, the water jump, is omitted on the final circuit of steeplechases. The course has easy, sweeping bends and is generally considered a fair test for all types of horses.

 

Track Facts

Jonjo O’Neill, now a successful trainer, broke the world record the number of winners ridden by a National Hunt jockey in a single season (125) at Perth in 1978.

The highlight of the Perth calendar is the City of Perth Gold Cup Handicap Chase, run over 3 miles in June.

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