Carlisle Racecourse
Just down the road from Hadrian’s Wall and the Scottish border, Carlisle prides itself on being England’s most northern city and the racecourse has stood in its current location since 1904. Racing takes place there all through the year, with flat racing in the summer from April to August, followed by National Hunt races between September and April. The course at Carlisle is situated in a country park, so despite being just two miles from the city centre, spectators are treated to excellent views of the picturesque Cumbrian landscape.
Carlisle racecourse is extremely accessible by most forms of transport, with those travelling by car just needing to join the M6 and leave at Junction 42 with easy to follow signs directing you to the course. Trains to and from Newcastle upon Tyne regularly serve the train station at Carlisle, whilst it is one of the major stops on the London Euston to Glasgow line, so trains are very frequent no matter where you are travelling from. The station is just two miles from the racecourse and access is available via buses from the station.
Ticket Prices
Aside from hospitality, Carlisle offers two separate forms of ticket – general admission or premier admission. General admission prices start at just £11.50, whilst for the increased price of £21 customers are allowed access to the premier bars and enclosures. All visitors under the age of 17 are offered free entry when accompanied by a full paying adult.
The Course
Racing at Carlisle takes place on a right-handed pear-shaped course, which is galloping in nature. There are four separate courses in total, one for flat racing and another three for jumps action. The flat course is just over a mile and a half in length and, although there is a stiff three furlong finish, it does have easy turns throughout.
There is a sprint track that sticks out from the main circuit, capable of hosting five furlong and six furlong contests. Across both these distances horses find themselves on a gentle turn for much of the race with the track only straightening up with around two furlongs left to go.
Jumps action takes place on the chase course or one of two hurdles courses. Although all rather undulating, they are still very galloping in nature. Horses are free to stretch their legs here but races don’t tend to be finished in a particularly short amount of time. The uphill finish encourages jockeys to preserve energy around the course and Carlisle is also known for having testing ground. On muddier days, you will often see jockeys, whether in jump racing or on the flat, move closer to the stands in search of better ground.
Most of the time Carlisle provides runners with a test of stamina rather than their jumping ability. Fences here are among the easiest around although there are just a couple that can ask a few questions of chasers who lack extensive experience, the first up on the home and back straights. A couple of bogey fences can be useful for novice runners though and it is partly why Carlisle remains a popular destination among several big yards which view this as a great introductory track.
Lucky Number 8
There is no significant statistical evidence of strong draw bias at Carlisle, a quite surprising finding for sprint races as the track bends to the left before straightening up around two furlongs from the line. Some data suggests that low drawn horses do have an advantage but this is only true during small fields. The bias disappears almost entirely when fields feature eight or more horses, in part because those drawn on the outside are often directed to the outer rail by their jockeys. This is particularly the case when the going is soft, hardly an uncommon sight at a place like Carlisle.
Although we mentioned there is no obvious bias in sprint races featuring eight or more runners, there seems to be something special about gate number eight. Horses starting from this lucky spot posted a level stakes net win of nearly £70 between August 2009 and 2019, as well as the second highest win percentage. Given that no other stall could even muster £10 net win on £1 bets, it is quite hard to explain why it has proven such a blessed starting place. Perhaps it is just a bizarre anomaly but it remains something to keep your eye on.
Jockeyship Important
In non-sprint races at Carlisle, starting positions makes little difference to the outcome of races regardless of field size but jockeyship does. One man who has got the art down to a tee on the northern racecourse is Ben Curtis, who as of August 2019 had a 27% win rate from 146 rides, posting a staggering level stakes net win of £140.35. It appears that he knows better than anyone that in sprint races, leading early on is of vital importance as horses pegged back so often struggle.
As distances increase, the success of front running tactics becomes less strong but taking a prominent position in seven furlong/one mile races before the long bend remains important when the going is good. The tactical nous required over this kind of distance isn’t really needed for 1m 6f and 2m 1f tests though. Over both these lengths, the fields often spread out as they speed across the downhill section just past the finishing post so potential threats are usually lacking down the run-in.
Major Meetings at Carlisle
The most famous races at Carlisle are the two traditional ones. The Carlisle Bell is one of the oldest races in existence as it was first contested in 1599 and is still run annually to this day – a 1m race held every June. The name of the race relates to the bells that were awarded to the winners of the race under Elizabeth I’s reign, and the original bells can be found at the Carlisle Guildhall Museum. The Cumberland Plate also originates from a similar time and is still run today, a 1m4f race which also takes place in June.
Dining and Hospitality
Carlisle offers two separate types of hospitality facility – executive boxes are located on the second floor of the main grandstand and can accommodate up to 30 guests, giving a fantastic view of the racecourse and surrounding scenery. Alternatively, lawn suites are located trackside and can house up to 20 people, which gives guests an up close view of the race and provides a much more interactive experience of the action.
Both start at the same price at just £79 + VAT per person, with the Premier option £95 + VAT per person and the hospitality experience £124 + VAT per person. Customers also have the option of dining in the excellent Swifts restaurant, with a three course meal priced at just £64 + VAT per head, whilst the facilities are available to hire on non-race days for business conferences, parties and weddings.