Windsor Racecourse is often referred to as Royal Windsor because of its proximity to the official Royal residence of Windsor Castle, which lies less than two miles to the east along the banks of the River Thames. Windsor Racecourse is famous for its Monday evening fixtures, the first of which took place in 1964 and, as part of the Arena Racing Company (ARC), stages at total of 26 Flat fixtures throughout the season.
Course Characteristics
The round course at Windsor is a fairly sharp figure of eight, just over a mile and a half around, with a five-furlong home straight. The sharpness of the course is reduced, in part, by the length of the home straight, which affords big, long-striding horses plenty of time to find their stride. Races over 6 furlongs start on a chute that joins the round course at the top of the home straight. On the straight course, horses drawn high, near the far side rail, have a distinct advantage on soft ground.
Track Facts
In the days before his knighthood, Gordon Richards broke Fred Archer’s record of 2,748 career winners at Windsor in 1943.
In 1966, one of the loops on the figure of eight course was tightened, so that races over two and a half miles were no longer possible.
In October 2012, Richard Hughes completed a 10,168/1 seven-timer at Windsor and, in so doing, became just the second jockey to ride seven winners on a single card in Britain.
The Winter Hill Stakes, a Group 3 contest run over a mile and a quarter in August, is the only Pattern race of the year at Windsor.