Brighton Racecourse

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Brighton Racecourse
Flat
Official website

Brighton Racecourse is an English horse racing venue located a mile to the northeast of the centre of Brighton, Sussex, owned by the Arena Racing Company.

Location and layout

It is situated on

Epsom with which Brighton is sometimes compared. The finishing straight is about four furlongs in length, with a steep descent followed by a slightly-less-steep climb to the winning post. It is a left-handed course, used for flat racing only. The longest race run today is 1 1⁄2 miles. However, the course used to extend a further half-mile across the golf course towards Roedean. This made four-mile races possible, starting at the winning post and going the reverse way round the track, then looping at the two-mile start and returning the conventional way.[1] Hurdle races were also formerly held at Brighton, with one being situated on the steep downhill.[2]

History

Racing at Brighton
The unique sight of racing across the downs with the sea in the background

The

armed forces who were garrisoned in the town. The principal meeting took place in July or August and was timed to fit with the local Whitehawk Fair, which was discontinued by the 1820s.[4]

According to legend, King

paupers who had been allowed to live in it.[5][6]

Wigstead and Rowlandson comment in "An Excursion to Brighthelmstone made in the year 1789", "The race-ground is exceedingly well adapted to the purpose for which it is intended and is one of the most beautifully situated spots in the world..."

It was the custom of the Prince of Wales, later George IV, in the early 19th century to make his way up Race Hill in a barouche drawn by six greys.[7]

In 1805, the races were faced with severe disruption when the farmer who leased the racecourse threatened to plough it up unless he received the complimentary gift of wine he usually received each season. He was in the process of beginning to plough when he was chased off by a press gang and the races allowed to continue.[6]

The course was home for a while to top class racing, and was attended by fashionable society, but it drifted out of fashion when the Prince and his friends ceased to attend in 1816,

Glorious Goodwood festival was followed up by big meetings at Brighton and Lewes.[1]

In 1850, admission to the betting ring and stand was four shillings; a ticket for three days was 10s 6d. Racing began at 1.30pm, with seven races at half-hourly intervals.[7]

Crowds rose to over 20,000 in the period following the

St. Leger. A new stand was built for £400,000 in 1965.[9] Attendance declined as Brighton's tourist industry did, and the facility became run-down. Racecourse owning group Northern Racing took a majority stake in 1998 and spent £4m refurbishing the course.[1] As of 1999, Northern owned 81% of the course with Brighton & Hove City Council retaining a 19% interest.[10]
Northern Racing merged with Arena Racing in 2012 to become the Arena Racing Company.

Major races

Today, Brighton is one of the smaller racecourses in Britain in terms of the quality of racing and prize money offered. In 2012/13, its average prize money per meeting was £26,349. Only Southwell, Chepstow and Folkestone (now closed) offered less.[11]

The season's highlight is the three-day Brighton Festival, on the first Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of August. Some 15,000 people attend on each day, and there are enclosures and facilities for all levels of desired race-day experience.[12] The main event is the Brighton Mile Challenge Trophy Handicap, worth £9,450 to the winner in 2021, and sponsored by Wainwright.[13] In 2021 Brighton hosted meetings on 21 days, including 5 evening meetings.[14]

Memorable events

On 3 August 1966, Norah Wilmot became the first official woman trainer of a winning horse in the UK when her horse won at Brighton. The Jockey Club had only granted women training licences after a legal challenge was taken to the Court of Appeal by fellow trainer Florence Nagle in July 1966,[15] citing the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919.[16]

Prominent racehorse owner Sheikh Mohammed had his first winner at Brighton racecourse on 20 June 1977 when his filly Hatta, trained by John Dunlop, won the £968 Bevendene Maiden Stakes.[17] Top American jockey Steve Cauthen also reached a milestone at the course, winning his 1000th British race on odds-on favourite Picnicing on 5 August 1987.[18]

Cricketer

declared an innings for Sussex from the course.[19]

The winning most horse at Brighton is Pour La Victoire who achieved his 11th win at the course in August 2021 at the age of 11 and duly had the winners suite at the track named after him. Trained by A W Carroll (Tony) and owned by Curry House Corner and Partner who announced his retired immediately that famous day.

Other events

The course is also available as a venue for exhibitions, conferences, car rallies, circuses, antique fairs, business promotions and product launches, wedding receptions and other private parties.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "History of Brighton". Brighton Racecourse. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  2. ^ Wright 1986, p. 39.
  3. ^ Fines 2002, p. 28.
  4. ^ Erredge 1862, p. 283.
  5. ^ a b Sicklemore 1823, p. 78.
  6. ^ a b Erredge 1862, p. 282.
  7. ^ a b Rickman, John (1952). Homes of Sport - Horse Racing. London: Peter Garnett. p. 38.
  8. ^ Cawthorne & Herod 1902, p. 11.
  9. ^ Mortimer, Onslow & Willett 1978, p. 82.
  10. ^ "ON COURSE TO RACE BACK TO GLORY DAYS". The Argus. 4 February 1999. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Racecourse League Tables". Racehorse Owners Association. 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  12. ^ "Brighton Racecourse Guide". British Racecourses.
  13. ^ "Sporting Life Racing Results". Sporting Life. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  14. ^ Racecourse, Brighton (23 September 2021). "Brighton racecourse fixtures 2021". Brighton Racecourse. Archived from the original on 4 March 2000.
  15. ^ B, Lizzie (12 October 2021). "Norah Wilmot (1889-1980)". Women Who Meant Business. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Nagle v Feilden". vLex. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  17. ^ Armytage, Marcus (23 April 2013). "Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin vision has been tainted by this drugs scandal". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  18. ^ "Cauthen hits 1,000". New Straits Times. Malaysia. 7 August 1987. p. 17. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  19. ^ Sengupta, Arunabha (15 May 2013). "Ted Dexter: One of the most colourful characters to grace English cricket". cricketcountry.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.

Bibliography

  • Beavis, Jim (2003). The Brighton Races.

Cawthorne, George James; Herod, Richard S. (1902). Royal Ascot, Its History & Its Associations (PDF). London: A Treherne & Co. Retrieved 1 February 2022.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brighton_Racecourse&oldid=1137654992"