Gt. Yarmouth Racecourse
Great Yarmouth racecourse takes the form of a narrow oblong of a mile and five furlongs round, with a straight that allows races of up to a mile to be run. It is a left-handed course, used for flat racing only.
Racing at Yarmouth was first recorded in 1715, when a lease was granted by the Gt. Yarmouth Corporation to a group of innkeepers for some land where they could stage race meetings. Racing may well have been taking place there before that date. It was probably intermittent during the 18th. century, and will often have coincided with the annual town fair. Not until 1810 did the official Racing Calendar begin to record meetings with thoroughbred races and sufficient prize money. The course, on the South Denes, then became established. A two-day meeting was held in the late summer each year. Not until 1866 did the number of fixtures start to increase.
Racing resumed after its suspension during World War I, but in 1920 the course was moved to the North Denes, in the face of pressure from the local fishing industry to expand its premises onto land on the South Denes. Two grandstands were dismantled and relocated to the North Denes, where they are still in use today.
The local council took over ownership of the course in 1904, but since 2001 they have been the minority shareholder in a new company set up to run the course, the majority shareholder being Northern Racing. During that time improvements were made that the council could not previously finance, including the construction of an additional grandstand, The Nelson Stand, in 2004. The course merged in 2012 with Arena Racing Company .
The three day Eastern Meeting in September is the season’s main fixture and features Yarmouth's most valuable race, the John Musker Fillies' Stakes, run over a mile and a quarter.
Gt. Yarmouth is 70 miles from Newmarket, the home of British horseracing, and Newmarket trainers are the track’s most frequent visitors. They regularly bring top notch two-year-olds to race on the course that's ideally suited for strong gallopers, and some of these young horses go on to compete in and win valuable races.
In 1998 Dubai Millennium won his debut at Yarmouth, impressively, ridden by Frankie Dettori, before becoming one of the best horses to run for the worldwide Godolphin operation, owned by the Dubai royal family.
Since then Yarmouth winners have included Ouija Board, over 7 furlongs, who went on to win the English and Irish Oaks, both in 2004 before winning the Breeders Cup, in the USA, in 2004 and 2006 and the Hong Kong Vase in 2005. During her career Ouija Board amassing over £3 million in prize money.
Wilko, Raven's Pass and Donativum were others that won at Great Yarmouth en route to future Breeders Cup glory.
Gt. Yarmouth Racecourse
Great Yarmouth racecourse takes the form of a narrow oblong of a mile and five furlongs round, with a straight that allows races of up to a mile to be run. It is a left-handed course, used for flat racing only.
Racing at Yarmouth was first recorded in 1715, when a lease was granted by the Gt. Yarmouth Corporation to a group of innkeepers for some land where they could stage race meetings. Racing may well have been taking place there before that date. It was probably intermittent during the 18th. century, and will often have coincided with the annual town fair. Not until 1810 did the official Racing Calendar begin to record meetings with thoroughbred races and sufficient prize money. The course, on the South Denes, then became established. A two-day meeting was held in the late summer each year. Not until 1866 did the number of fixtures start to increase.
Racing resumed after its suspension during World War I, but in 1920 the course was moved to the North Denes, in the face of pressure from the local fishing industry to expand its premises onto land on the South Denes. Two grandstands were dismantled and relocated to the North Denes, where they are still in use today.
The local council took over ownership of the course in 1904, but since 2001 they have been the minority shareholder in a new company set up to run the course, the majority shareholder being Northern Racing. During that time improvements were made that the council could not previously finance, including the construction of an additional grandstand, The Nelson Stand, in 2004. The course merged in 2012 with Arena Racing Company .
The three day Eastern Meeting in September is the season’s main fixture and features Yarmouth's most valuable race, the John Musker Fillies' Stakes, run over a mile and a quarter.
Gt. Yarmouth is 70 miles from Newmarket, the home of British horseracing, and Newmarket trainers are the track’s most frequent visitors. They regularly bring top notch two-year-olds to race on the course that's ideally suited for strong gallopers, and some of these young horses go on to compete in and win valuable races.
In 1998 Dubai Millennium won his debut at Yarmouth, impressively, ridden by Frankie Dettori, before becoming one of the best horses to run for the worldwide Godolphin operation, owned by the Dubai royal family.
Since then Yarmouth winners have included Ouija Board, over 7 furlongs, who went on to win the English and Irish Oaks, both in 2004 before winning the Breeders Cup, in the USA, in 2004 and 2006 and the Hong Kong Vase in 2005. During her career Ouija Board amassing over £3 million in prize money.
Wilko, Raven's Pass and Donativum were others that won at Great Yarmouth en route to future Breeders Cup glory.