HAYDOCK RACECOURSE ULTIMATE GUIDE:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Leave a Comment / Horse Racing, Most Recent / By William Hooper

You don’t need to be at Aintree on Grand National day to find a great horse racing atmosphere. In fact, you’ll probably have a better day out with all your pals at a less well-known course – you’ll be closer to the action, and you’re not forking out £200 each for a ticket. Each year The Haydock Racecourse hosts the Betfair Chase (the first leg of the prestigious £1 million Triple Chase Crown), The Haydock Sprint Cup, and a variety of other meets. Whether you’re watching the best jockeys and horses in the world fight it out for a million pound prize pot or watching a regular weekend meet, Haydock Races always delivers a quality afternoon.

Situated in Merseyside, halfway between Manchester and Liverpool, and set over 127 acres of beautiful parkland, Haydock Racecourse hosts a variety of flat and jump races over the calendar, and was twice voted ‘Racecourse of the Year’.

As always, a day out at the races is as much about the buzz and excitement of the day as the horse racing itself, thankfully Haydock caters to both. Haydock Racecourse boasts a huge number of bars and eateries; pick up a beer at the Paddock Bar whilst you place your bets or, if you’re feeling fancy, enjoy a glass of champagne at the Moet et Chandon Bar.

THE MAIN MEETS AT HAYDOCK RACECOURSE

The Betfair Chase Haydock Racecourse hosts the first leg of the prestigious Triple Chase Crown (the other two legs are the King George at Kempton Park, and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham). This is a Group 1 National Hunt Steeplechase and with £1 million in prize money up for grabs. The best horses and Jockeys in the world turn up for the occasion and you’ll have a front row seat. Raced over 3 miles and with 19 fences to jump, this race is always hotly contested and a spectacle to watch. The Betfair Chase is scheduled to take place in November each year.

The Sprint Cup

As the name suggests, The Sprint Cup is a flat out short sprint, run over only 6 furlongs and although this race is short, it’s by no means any less thrilling to watch. The Sprint Cup at Haydock is another Group 1 race and, with the 2020 prize money of £225,000 on offer, it too attracts the world’s best talent in horse racing. You’ll catch The Sprint Cup in early September each year.

A flat handicap race ran over 1 mile and 3 furlongs and a purse of £60,000, the Newton Cup is Haydock Racecourse’s biggest summer meet. It has a rich history, and has been won by most of the big names in horse racing – the likes of Pat Eddery, Willie Carson and Frankie Dettori have all found themselves in the winners enclosure at Haydock. It’s a highly competitive race, which has seen many upsets over the years, and is always a wonderful social occasion. This race is scheduled to take place in July each year.

AND SO ON!