Newbury Racecourse

Newbury

The Berkshire Stand and The Grandstand
Location	Newbury, Berkshire
Coordinates	51°23′40″N 1°18′2″W / 51.39444°N 1.30056°W / 51.39444; -1.30056
Date opened	September 26, 1905
Screened on	Racing UK
Course type	Flat National Hunt
Notable races	Lockinge Stakes, Challow Novices' Hurdle
Official website

Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the Lockinge Stakes.

Horserace finishing at Newbury

Crowds at Newbury

Cois Farraig jumps the last in front at Newbury

Tony McCoy, Aigle D'or, J. P. McManus & Nicky Henderson

History

The racecourse held its first race meeting on 26/27 September 1905 and moved to its current location, in the Greenham area on the south-east side of Newbury, in 1910. During the First World War Newbury Race Course was used as a Prisoner-of-war camp for German Prisoners.^[1][2]

Facilities

See also: Newbury Racecourse railway station

The racecourse has a runway for light aircraft in the centre of the course and dedicated railway station, which sees heavy traffic and additional trains on race days. It also acts as a venue for conferences, weddings and Hen and Stag parties.^[3]

2011 Incident

On 12 February 2011, two horses - Marching Song and Fenix Two - collapsed and died in the Paddock while parading for the first race of the day. Two others also appeared to have been affected, Kid Cassidy and The Merry Giant. The novice hurdle race went ahead, starting about 20 minutes late, but the rest of the day's racing was abandoned.^[4][5]

On 17 February, the preliminary results of the investigation into the incident were released.

Professor Tim Morris, Director of Equine Science and Welfare for the British Horseracing Authority, reported that they had been informed that there had been leakage from an electrical a cable running under the parade ring. Both the horses had been examined postmortem and sudden cardiac arrest had been identified as the cause of death, consistent with accidental electrocution being the cause of death, and that no other cause of death was being investigated.

Professor Morris also stated:

I can also confirm that, contrary to speculation, no evidence of any burn marks around the mouth was found on post mortem examination, neither were such marks found by the veterinary surgeons on the horses at the start.^[6]

Notable races

Flat racing:

• Arc Trial
• Fillies' Trial Stakes
• Fred Darling Stakes
• Geoffrey Freer Stakes
• Greenham Stakes
• Hackwood Stakes
• Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes
• Horris Hill Stakes
• Hungerford Stakes
• John Porter Stakes
• Lockinge Stakes
• Mill Reef Stakes
• St. Simon Stakes
• Washington Singer Stakes
• Weatherbys Super Sprint
• World Trophy

National Hunt racing:

• Aon Chase
• Challow Novices' Hurdle
• Game Spirit Chase
• Greatwood Gold Cup
• Hennessy Gold Cup
• Long Distance Hurdle

References

1. ^ http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=141259 Great War Forum
2. ^ http://www.purley.eu/H142P/P352.pdf Royal Berkshire Regiment Great War Project
3. ^ "Corporate events, race sponsorship and venue hire at Newbury Racecourse". Newbury Racecourse. http://www.newbury-racecourse.co.uk/Hospitality---Sponsorship. Retrieved 2011-02-12. 
4. ^ "Electrocution blamed as two horses die at Newbury races". BBC Sport. 12 February 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/9395743.stm. Retrieved 12 February 2011. 
5. ^ J.A. McGrath and Adam Lusher "Horses drop dead in bizarre scenes at Newbury", Telegraph website, 12 February 2011
6. ^ Newbury Racecourse statement (retrieved 22 February 2011)

External links

• Official website
• Course guide on GG.COM
• Course guide on At The Races

Coordinates: 51°23′40″N 1°18′2″W / 51.39444°N 1.30056°W / 51.39444; -1.30056