Known to be the sacred epicentre of flat racing on the international stage, Newmarket Racecourse plays host to in excess of 3,000 stables. In addition to this, the National Stud and Tattersalls auctioneers also call this home, while the racing scene features two historic racecourses all under one umbrella.
Situated on a vast, rolling expanse of grassland in Suffolk, this has been the sport’s ultimate breeding testing ground for centuries.
A Track Of Royal Foundations
In 1605, King James 1 discovered the quaint and sleepy village of Newmarket while he was there on a hunting excursion and made the decision to move the royal court there, which was the birth of the town’s obsession with horses.
Latterly, King Charles II then formally established Newmarket as the birthplace of modern racing; personally riding winners on the heath, while he also founded the Town Plate (1965), white constructing a royal palace which let him spend his summers monitoring the gallops.
Meanwhile, the principal track; The Rowley Mile, is so-called after Charles II’s favourite hackney horse which had the nickname of Old Rowley.
The Unique Dynamic Of Two Tracks
Featuring an incredibly wide, straight course that has a famous, brutal uphill climb in the final furlong, known as “The Dip”, this is a considerable test of a horse’s raw power and balance and is used exclusively in the spring and autumn.
There is also the course that is used in the summer, which is known as the “Garden Course”; it is heavily lined with trees, while featuring a vibrant, thatched-roof paddock and offers a more intimate, garden-party atmosphere for racegoers.
The Foundations Of British Racing
Home to some of the premier races on the British racing scene that have lasted through the decades, these still attract visitors in their thousands every year.
The 2000 Guineas was founded in 1809 and is the opening leg of the British Triple Crown for three-year-old colts and these run over the straight Rowley Mile.
Another prestigious race that dates back to 1814 is the 1000 Guineas and is known to be the parallel Classic test for top-class fillies.
Widely known to be Europe’s principal wide-open Group 1 sprint championship race, the July Cup, hosted on the Garden Course, crowns the best sprint champion of the summer and has major interest all over the world.
Course Milestones That Go Down In History
Still the only sitting British monarch to ride a winner in the Newmarket Plate of 1671 is King Charles II having guided his own horse to victory, this is an iconic achievement to this day, while the legendary horse, Nijinsky triumphed in the 2000 Guineas of 1970. This was an achievement that saw him well on his way to securing the English Triple Crown and is a historic feat that hasn’t been replicated since by any colt.
Arguably one of the most explosive displays in racing history occurred at Newmarket in the 2000 Guineas in 2011 when undefeated superstar Frankel produced a masterclass of unparalleled proportions. Such was the impressive nature of his race; he was 15 lengths clear by the halfway mark and coasted to an unforgettable victory.
Such is the prestige of Newmarket racecourse and the talent it attracts, there is