Chester racecourse is a horseracing track  located in Chester, Cheshire, England. It is famously known as the Rodee. The racecourse is owned and managed by Chester Race Company Ltd. Racing there dates way back to the sixteenth century, making it one of the most ancient racing tracks in England. Despite its small size of approximately 1.8 km in length, Chester attracts a tremendous crowd of about 250,000 people in the 15-event season that runs from
May to September. The races held there are strictly flat races. It is seated on a 65-acre piece of land on the banks of River Dee, making it a beautiful venue to watch the races from.

It is said that the ancient Romans established Chester as an anchorage point where they could access the Irish Sea from. This made it a busy trading port, and was later left abandoned as a public land after silt had covered it. Years later, it became a home for the Goteddsday football match, which was banned in 1533 for its violent nature. Horse racing was then introduced in 1539, and the first race was recorded in February of the same year. Since then, races have been taking place every year at Chester racecourse. In 2008, a restaurant was opened up in the racecourse named “1539”. This marked the year in which the first race took place there.

The most notable races held in the racetrack are the Chester Cup and the Cheshire Oaks. The Chester Cup is a handicap race, and was first run in the year 1824. It is run over a distance of 3,746km, and is only open to horses aged four years and above. Cheshire Oaks on the other hand was inaugurated in 1950. It takes place every May, and is open to horses aged three years. The race is run over a distance of 2,281 meters.

Wetherby racecourse is one of the few racecourses that host both National Hunt and Flat races in England. It is located in Wetherby town, West Yorkshire, only about 19km from the city center of Leeds. It was opened way back in 1891, and hosts a total of 20 fixtures each year, all spread between January and December. The racecourse is widely known to be the leading jump track in the whole country. Racegoers always flock Wetherby just to enjoy the thrill brought about by steeplechase. It staged its first flat race in 2015. Today, flat racing takes place every May and June.

Wetherby racecourse’s first venue was at Scaur Bank, which is widely known as George V playing fields today. In 1891, the racecourse moved to a new venue, off York road. This was after the rent of Scaur Bank grounds was raised, forcing the committee to look for an alternative venue. The first race meeting at its new venue took place on the 30th of March, 1891. It was served by the Wetherby railway station between 1920 and 1950, before closing down. A new grandstand was opened in 1906, but racing was put to a sudden halt in 1915 due to wars. In 1920, the Wetherby Race Company was formed, just after everything had come back to normal. The race company oversaw purchase of the course lease.

Towton Novices’ Chase and the Wetherby Mares Hurdle are the two most notable races held at Wetherby. The Towton Chase takes place every late January or early February,  and was inaugurated in 1996. It was named after Towton town, which is located to the south of Wetherby. The race requires horses to compete over a distance
of 4,869 miles, with the jumping of 19 fences. Wetherby Hurdle on the other hand covers a total distance of 3,219 meters. It is sponsored by OLBG.com, and takes place every October or November.

Pontefract racecourse is a horse racing track located in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England. It is owned and managed by the Pontefract Park Race Company Ltd. The course is left- handed, and is about 5km long, with the last three furlongs steeping up a hill, making the finish very challenging. The course hosts flat races, and is considered as the largest flat racing track in the whole of Europe. It is easily accessible by public transportation, making it convenient to most racegoers. By train, one can choose to either use the Glasshoughton orTanshelf station. Bus services are also available and run frequently from Pontefract to Castleford.

Racing at Pontefract racecourse began way back in 1648. Back then, races occurred at the meadows near Pontefract. They however ceased happening in 1769 due to unknown reasons, and resumed in 1801. Unlike other racecourses, Pontefract remained functional during the World War 2. It was used as a venue for important races such as Lincoln Handicaps. It became the first racecourse in 1952 to install a photo finish, but was among the last racecourses to stage evening meetings.

The most notable races held at Pontefract are the Pontefract Castle Stakes and the Pomfret Stakes. The Pontefract Castle Stakes takes pace every June, and it first happened in 2005. Only fillies and mares are allowed to take part in the race. Pomfret Stakes on the other hand is scheduled for every July. It first happened in 2004, but was run as a handicap race. This year, the racecourse will be holding a total of six fixtures, three of them being Evening meetings and the other three being Sunday Meetings. There will be live concerts, with the Bootleg Beatles performing on the 20th of July after the racing. The racecourse will also be hosting the annual Ladies Day on the 8th of August, where the best dressed lady will be awarded with a holiday for two to the Dominican Republic.

The Berkshire Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 novices’ steeplechase run over 2 miles, 3 furlongs and 187 yards at Newbury in late November or early December. Open to horses aged four years and upwards, the race was inaugurated, as the Hopeful Chase, in 1987. It was renamed in 1991, to commemorate celebrated National Hunt trainer Fulke Walwyn – who died at his home in Lambourn, aged 80, in February that year – and again, to its current title, in 2006. That said, the Berkshire Novices’ Chase has been run under various titles for sponshorship purposes, including the Fuller’s London Pride Novices’ Chase and the Ladbrokes Novices’ Chase.

Notable winners of the Berkshire Novices’ Chase down the years include future Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Remittance Man (1990), future Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Denman (2006), Bobs Worth (2011) and Coneygree (2014) and future dual King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux (2016). Nicky Henderson, trainer of Remittance Man and Bobs Worth, has saddled seven winners of the Berkshire Novices’ Chase – the others being Bacchanal (2000), Katarino (2001), The Market Man (2008), Punchestowns (2009), Champ (2019), and Caribean Boy (2020) – and is the most successful handler in the history of the race.

The race now known as the Coral Novices’ Steeple Chase was elevated to Listed status in 2001 and again, to Grade 2 status, three years later. The 2022 renewal is scheduled for 1:50pm on Friday, November 25, the first day of the newly-sponsored Coral Gold Cup Meeting, formerly the Ladbrokes Winter Carnival. Any novice steeplechaser trained by Nicky Henderson, who has a lifetime 20% strike rate over fences at his local course, must be worth a second look. His record aside, though, favourites have an excellent recent record in the Berkshire Novices’ Chase, with five out of the last ten market leaders successful.