Bath Racecourse is a
thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in t ...
venue on
Lansdown Hill, about northeast of
Bath, Somerset, England. It is owned and operated by
Arena Racing Company.
The
racecourse
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...
is a left-handed oval track of 1 mile 4 furlongs and 25 yards, with a run-in of nearly half-a-mile.
['' British Racing and Racecourses'' () by ]Marion Rose Halpenny
Marion Rose Halpenny is an equestrian writer and horsewoman, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, and known as the ''Lincolnshire turf authoress'',Your Chance for some horse trading – Racing by Geoff Ford – Evening Telegraph – Tuesday, 29 Janua ...
- Page 77 The home straight is 4 furlongs, with a steady rise and turn. It is the highest flat racecourse in the country and has no watering facility, so the going can become very firm during a dry summer.
At above sea level, Bath is Britain's highest flat racecourse, although
National Hunt
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
courses Hexham and Exeter are higher.
History
Racing was first recorded at Bath in 1728. In 1811, the first major meet at Bath Racecourse was held, under the auspices of a local family, the Blathwayts. Originally there was just one meet a year at the course, lasting for two days, but gradually over the years, the number of meets increased to its present level of twenty-two. In the early years, the Somerset Stakes was the major race of the calendar, and this race is still held annually. In 1844 this race was a sweepstake of 25 sovereigns each with £100 added by the committee. It was won by the Duke of Richmond's Red Deer, a three-year-ol carrying 4st 11ibs, who went on to win the Chester Cup. The owner of the second got his £25 back, but the winner had to pay £10 for preparing the course and £5 for weights and scales.
There were a number of grandstand buildings in those days and people used to watch the races from their carriages, lined up beside the track.
During
World War II, the racecourse was used as a landing field by the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) a ...
and named RAF North Stoke.
In 1953, Bath Racecourse was the site of a criminal plot surrounding the "Spa selling plate". Having two horses that looked almost identical, the gang substituted a good horse for a poor one. They bet heavily on the substituted horse and damaged the power supply to the racecourse, which prevented the bookmakers from changing the odds which remained at 10-1. The horse won the race and the gang would have profited highly had not racing officials become suspicious and called in
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London' ...
. The gang were subsequently brought to justice.
In 2015/16 the racecourse facilities underwent a significant redevelopment and investment programme, funded by the
Arena Racing Company. The racetrack has a new look with bands of buttermilk and French grey, the parade ring is revamped and the Beckford Bar opened. The new Langridge Grandstand opened in July 2016 and has various new facilities including a canopied roof garden from which races can be watched. It is also available as a venue between race days for corporate events, dinners and weddings.
[
]
Notable races
* Dick Hern Fillies' Stakes (now run at Haydock Park
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield ...
)
References
Further reading
*
External links
Bath Racecourse (Official website)
Course guide on GG.COM
Course guide on At The Races
{{Authority control
Horse racing venues in England
Sports venues in Bath, Somerset
Sports venues completed in 1728
1728 establishments in England