Cartmel Racecourse
Located in England, Cumbria, the Cartmel Racecourse is a small facility set with wooded parkland. The track layout is oval-shaped and left-handed covering one mile and one furlong. Its four-furlong run-in on the steeplechase course is the longest in the country. Cartmel racecourse hosts Seven National Hunt Race Meetings annually and the top prize has been known to amount to £125,000.
Historical records of horse racing activity at Cartmel can be traced back to 1856. It is thought that local monks previously held mule racing events during the mid-15th century. Meetings were organized on the flat land of Holker Estate. At the beginning of the 20th century, the course was used as a jumps-only track and its yearly meeting occurred on Whit Monday. During the war years, activity at Cartmel Racecourse stopped and people were concerned that it would not return. However, Colonel Davy Pain and some resident landowners ensured that the facility did not go into decline. In 1947, Saturday racing was organized, and then later in the 1960’s, the August meeting was added which attracted more experienced jockeys. Gradually, Cartmel Racecourse became an acceptable venue for hosting National Hunt races and was no longer just a small holiday fun track.
Cartmel Racetrack was later expanded which enabled huge numbers of spectators to attend. Soon the crowds were exceeding those of Aintree and Cheltenham. Trade stalls and a fun fair were set up in the middle of the track venue. In 1980, Cartmel Racecourse was used for filming a TV Movie called “Murphy’s Stroke”.
Cartmel Racecourse was sold to Lord Hugh Cavendish in 1998. Under his guidance, the venue was expanded and improved further. Two additional meetings were added to the racing schedule, taking place in May and August and in 2004, the old grandstand was replaced with a new one. This upgrade included a new restaurant along with other top quality facilities for the officials, jockeys and clientele.
One of Cartmel’s favoured fixtures is the May Bank Day which features seven races. Other important events include Picnic Day, also in May, Barbecue Monday and the Cumbria Crystal Hurdle Day, both in July, and the Totepool Cartmel Cup Day which is held in August.
The two main tickets for the Paddock Enclosure and Course Enclosure allow access to the Grandstand and Paddock, Parade Ring, Restaurants, main racecourse office and the Marquee Village. There is a fairground on-site as well as market stalls and trade stands.
Admission fees vary depending on ticket type. Tickets should be purchased in advance and are available either online or at the venue. Packages and options include BBQ Packs, Champaign vouchers and fairground vouchers. There are numerous eateries, public bars plus a real ale tent.
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