Beverley Racecourse
Racing in Beverley can be documented as far back as over 300 years ago, and the founding of The Jockey Club in 1752 really formalised its presence in the town. With the founding of The Jockey Club, the occasional racing at nearby Westwood Pasture was recognised, and Beverley Racecourse was founded. An annual meeting at Beverley was first established in 1767. Before that races had only occasionally been run there. Then, for a short period between 1798 and 1805 racing once again stopped. Later in the 19th century a three-day meeting was taking place annually in the week after York's May meeting. In 2012, Beverley hosted racing on 19 days. Its most prestigious races being two Listed races - the Hilary Needler Trophy for two-year-olds in May and Beverley Bullet Sprint over 5 furlongs in August for three-year-olds and up.
The racecourse is a right-handed flat course, that is just over 1 mile 3 furlongs. It is predominantly flat but with a stiff, uphill finish and tight turns. Beverley has the most pronounced "draw bias" on a UK racecourse on its 5 furlong course. The sharp right hand bend and the fact that the ground runs away to the left make a low draw (i.e. on the inside rail) much more advantageous than a high draw (i.e. on the wide outside and on ground sloping right to left).
The first grandstand was commissioned for the racecourse on 22 May 1767 at a cost of £1,000. A £90,000 stand was opened in Tattersalls enclosure in 1968.
In August 2018, it was announced that planning permission was being sought for a £4.8 million grandstand to replace the existing 1960s structure, with an expected completion of April 2021.
It has been described as an "unpretentious but agreeable" racecourse.
As of July 2019, 10 horses have died at the racecourse since 2007.
Notable races
| Month | DOW | Race Name | Type | Grade | Distance | Age/Sex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May/June | Saturday | Hilary Needler Trophy | Flat | Conditions | 5f | 2yo f |
| May/June | Saturday | Two Year Old Trophy | Flat | Conditions | 5f | 2yo c&g |
| Aug/Sep | Saturday | Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes | Flat | Listed | 5f | 3yo+ |
See also
References
- ^ "Main Races and Events Held At Beverly". britishracecourses.org. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ Poulson 1829, p. 448.
- ^ Poulson 1829, p. 449.
- ^ Oliver 1829, p. 430.
- ^ "2012 Fixture List" (PDF). British Horseracing Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ "British Flat Pattern and Listed Races 2010" (PDF). British Horseracing Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ Halpenny 1971, p. 79.
- ^ Wright 1986, p. 27.
- ^ "Beverley Racecourse". Oddschecker.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ^ "Our History". Beverley Racecourse. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ Mortimer, Onslow & Willett 1978, p. 58.
- ^ "Beverley racecourse new grandstand planned". BBC News. BBC. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Beverley". Race Horse Death Watch. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
Bibliography
- Halpenny, Marion Rose (1971). British Racing and Racecourses. Holmes & Sons. ISBN 9780950139722.
- Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopaedia of British Racing. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- Oliver, George (1829). The History and Antiquities of the Town and Minster of Beverley in the County of York, from the Most Early Period. Beverley: M Turner. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- Poulson, George (1829). Beverlac: or, The antiquities and history of the town of Beverley, in the county of York, and of the provostry and collegiate establishment of St. John's; with a minute description of the present minster and the church of St. Mary, and other ancient and modern edifices. Beverley: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- Wright, Howard (1986). The Encyclopaedia of Flat Racing. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7090-2639-0.
External links
