Lingfield Park Racecourse

Last updated

Lingfield Park Racecourse
Lingfield.jpg
Aerial view of Lingfield Park (May 2011)
Location Lingfield, Surrey
Owned by Arena Racing Company
Screened on Sky Sports Racing
Course type Flat
National Hunt
Official website

Lingfield Park Racecourse (commonly referred to as Lingfield) is a horse racing course at Lingfield in Surrey, United Kingdom. It is owned by the ARC Racing and Leisure Group, formerly Arena Leisure Plc.

Contents

Lingfield is best known as a winter all-weather flat racing course; the track is Polytrack, rather than the usual turf found in the UK. There are only five other all-weather courses in the UK, the others being at Southwell, Kempton, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, and Chelmsford City (formerly Great Leighs Racecourse). Lingfield also stages National Hunt and flat races on turf.

Lingfield railway station adjoins the course, served by trains from London to East Grinstead via Oxted.

History

Lingfield Park racecourse is located in a 450-acre (1.8 km2) estate and was opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who gave permission for the Prince of Wales' feathers to be incorporated into the course's official logo. The course initially held jumps racing only, but in 1894 the Jockey Club granted permission for flat racing to be held. [1] Racing has been held continuously ever since, with the only exception being during World War II when the War Office requisitioned the course. After the war, the racecourse returned to its owners, the Beckwith-Smith family. The racecourse was put up for sale by the family in 1974 at a price of £500,000. A few weeks later, it was sold to Ladbrokes. [2] Ladbrokes sold the course in 1982 to Ron Muddle. [3] The new owner installed flood defences on the estate to alleviate the flooding that had become a major problem in the years immediately after the war. A golf course was developed and this opened in June 1987. [4]

Leisure Investments purchased the Lingfield Park from Muddle in 1988 [5] and work to install an all-weather track on the inside of the turf course was completed in October 1989. [1] The racecourse was sold again in 1991 to Arena Leisure three years later and replacement of the Equitrack all-weather surface with Polytrack, was completed in November of the same year. Other recent developments have been the re-laying of the back straight on the turf course in 2002/2003 and the construction of a £5.5 million grandstand in 2004. In early 2009 the course had another record broken as Matsunosuke became the highest rated horse to win on the all-weather surface rated 112 or 117 by Racing Post rating. This was dubbed as the greatest all-weather horse of all time in the UK.[ by whom? ]

In addition, there's now a Marriott hotel based on the racecourse. [6]

The racecourse is featured in the 1954 film The Rainbow Jacket . [7]

Notable races

MonthDOWRace NameTypeGradeDistanceAge/Sex
FebruarySaturday Kachy Stakes A W FlatListed6f 1y4yo +
FebruarySaturday Tandridge Stakes A W FlatListed1m 1y4yo +
MarchSaturday Spring Cup A W FlatListed7f3yo
MaySaturday Chartwell Fillies' Stakes FlatGroup 37f3yo + f
MaySaturday Lingfield Oaks Trial FlatListed1m 3f 106y3yo only f
MaySaturday Lingfield Derby Trial FlatListed1m 3f 106y3yo only c&g
Other races

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing</span> 3-race horse honor in various countries

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment in Thoroughbred racing. The term originated in mid-19th-century England and nations where Thoroughbred racing is popular each have their own Triple Crown series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle Racecourse</span>

Newcastle Racecourse is a horse racing course located at Gosforth Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, owned by Arena Racing Company. It stages both flat and National Hunt racing, with its biggest meeting being the Northumberland Plate held annually in June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kempton Park Racecourse</span> Horse racing venue in England

Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, near the border with Greater London; it is 16 miles south-west of Charing Cross in central London. The site has 210 acres of flat grassland surrounded by woodland with two lakes in its centre. Its entrance borders Kempton Park railway station which was created for racegoers on a branch line from London Waterloo, via Clapham Junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverhampton Racecourse</span>

Wolverhampton Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. The track was the first to be floodlit in Britain and often holds meetings in the evening. The track surface has been Tapeta since 2014.

The Oaks Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133 yards at Lingfield Park in May.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundalk Stadium</span> Horse and greyhound racing venue in County Louth, Ireland

Dundalk Stadium is a horse and greyhound racing venue in Ireland. It is located to the north of Dundalk in County Louth.

Ventura is a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Fallen For You is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. After winning on her racecourse debut she finished second in the May Hill Stakes before finishing fifth in the Fillies' Mile. She began her three-year-old racing on synthetic tracks, winning a minor race at Kempton before returning to the turf to record her biggest win in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. She was retired from racing at the end of the year.

Arena Racing Company, also called ARC Racing and Leisure Group is a UK private company, created in 2012 by the merger of Arena Leisure and Northern Racing. It owns and operates 16 racecourses in Great Britain, accounting for 39% of British racing fixtures. It also operates hotels at Wolverhampton Racecourse and Lingfield Park Racecourse and golf courses at Lingfield, Southwell and Newcastle. Following the purchase of Nottingham Greyhound Stadium in 2020 the company became the leading greyhound racing operator in the UK. In November 2022, it was announced Arena Racing Company had acquired the Athens-headquartered omni-channel content distributor, Vermantia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Sequence (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Main Sequence is a Kentucky-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. In his first three seasons he raced in Europe winning his first four races including the Lingfield Derby Trial before losing his unbeaten record when finishing second in the 2012 Epsom Derby. After failing to win in 2013 he was gelded and sent to race in the United States. In 2014 he recorded Grade I victories in his first four American starts, winning the United Nations Stakes, Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf. He extended his winning run in his first start of 2015 but was retired from racing after suffering a serious tendon injury in his third race of the season.

The Doncaster Mile Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Doncaster Racecourse over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late March or early April. It is currently held on the opening day of the British flat racing turf season, at the same race meeting as the Lincoln Handicap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simple Verse</span> Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Simple Verse is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. Unraced as a juvenile, the filly quickly established herself as a top-class stayer by winning the St Leger Stakes. The previous filly to win the St Leger Stakes was User Friendly in 1992. She followed up her win in the St Leger with another Group One win in the British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes the following month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginevra (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Ginevra was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the 1972 Epsom Oaks. After winning two minor races as a two-year-old she improved in 1972 to win the Ladbrokes Oaks Trial before taking the Oaks. She went on to finish third in the Yorkshire Oaks and the St Leger. At the end of the year she was sold to a Japanese breeding syndicate and exported to Japan. Ginevra did not produce any notable offspring, although two of her daughters had some success as broodmares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seventh Heaven (horse)</span> Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Seventh Heaven is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed little promise as a two-year-old and was well beaten in maiden races at Leopardstown and Newmarket. As a three-year-old she showed improved form as she was moved up in distance, winning a maiden at Dundalk and the Lingfield Oaks Trial at Lingfield. She ran poorly in The Oaks but then emerged as a top-class performer with wins over strong fields in the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks.

Markab is a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. Originally trained in France, he did not race as a juvenile and won one minor race from six attempts as a three-year-old in 2006. He was then sold to race in England where he won three small handicap races in 2008 and the Great St. Wilfrid Stakes in the following year. After being transferred to the stable of Henry Candy he belatedly emerged as a top-class performer at the age of seven in 2010 when he won the Greenlands Stakes in Ireland before recording his biggest win in the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup. He remained in training for two more years, winning the Leisure Stakes in 2012 at the age of nine.

Masaka was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the best fillies of her generation in Europe in 1947 when she won three races including the Queen Mary Stakes and the July Stakes. In the following year she became increasingly temperamental and refused to start on more than one occasion but did show top class form over middle distances, winning the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diophon</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Diophon was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was probably the best two-year-old colt of his generation in England in 1923 when he won four of his five races including the July Stakes Lavant Stakes and Middle Park Stakes. In the following spring he gave his owner Aga Khan III the first of his many classic wins when he took the 2000 Guineas. He failed to win again that year but returned to take three valuable prizes in 1925. After his retirement from racing he had some success as a breeding stallion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anapurna (horse)</span> British Thoroughbred racehorse

Anapurna is a British Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2019 Epsom Oaks. After finishing unplaced on her only start as a juvenile she won a minor race on her three-year-old debut and went on to win the Lingfield Oaks Trial before winning the Oaks on her fourth start. She took a second Group 1 success later that year when she won the Prix de Royallieu.

Lady Bowthorpe is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed modest ability in her early career, finishing fourth on her only start as a juvenile and winning one minor race as a three-year-old in the following year. She improved in 2020, winning two races including the Group 3 Valiant Stakes. Lady Bowthorpe was even better as a five-year-old when she won the Dahlia Stakes and finished second in the Lockinge Stakes before recording a Group 1 win in the Nassau Stakes. She was retired at the end of the season and had her first foal in January 2023.

Loving Dream is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning the second of her two starts as a two-year-old in 2020 she excelled over long and extended distances in the following year, winning the Ribblesdale Stakes in England and the Prix de Royallieu in France.

References

  1. 1 2 Sargeant, Karen (6 August 2020) [29 March 2018]. "History of All-Weather Racing at Lingfield Park". Eclipse Magazine. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. "Lingfield Park Racecourse".
  3. "Ladbroke in £3m sale". The Times. No. 61126. London. 8 January 1982. p. 12.
  4. Hadert, David (16 January 1987). "Muddle putting Lingfield in good order". The Guardian. p. 25.
  5. Tate, Michael (27 August 1988). "Fatso saddles up for Lingfield". The Times. No. 63171. London. p. 23.
  6. "Lingfield Park Hotel".
  7. Burton, Alan; O'Sullivan, Tim (2009). Cinema of Basil Dearden and Michael Relph. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 124–125. ISBN   978-0-7486-3289-3.

51°10′14″N0°0′18″W / 51.17056°N 0.00500°W / 51.17056; -0.00500