Market Rasen Racecourse
Market Rasen racecourse is an exclusive National Hunt course located in Lincolnshire. Despite National Hunt being a predominantly winter based competition, racing there happens throughout the calendar year. Following the closure of Lincoln racecourse in the 1960s, Market Rasen is now the only remaining track in the area.
With beautiful countryside all around it, the course is situated to the east of the market town, at the very base of the famous Lincolnshire woods. In the 1800s, local riders formed the White Hart Friendly Society and started racing, which is the earliest recording of racing occurring in the area. In 1923, local entrepreneurs bought the current Legsby Road site and built a racecourse and grandstand, with the first ever fixture held on Easter Monday 1924. Market Rasen is a popular course for trainers, jockeys and local people, with up to 20 race meetings taking place each year.
Following the M1, Market Rasen racecourse is very well signposted and can be accessed via the M1, A1 or A46 depending on where those travelling by car are coming from. Alternatively, Market Rasen station is just one mile away from the course, with well-priced taxis available from the station in place of the lack of a bus service.
Ticket Prices
Ticket prices for entry to the course vary hugely depending on the day of the week and importance of the fixture. Entrance to the Brocklesby suite starts from £28, whilst access to the Tattersalls enclosure is priced at just £10.50.
The country enclosure prices begin at £6.95, whilst group entry to the family enclosure starts from as little as £5.63 per person – a real bargain. Visitors under the age of 18 are granted entry free of charge when accompanied by a full paying adult.
The Course
Featuring just races of National Hunt rules, the course at Market Rasen is run right-handed and is considered sharp and mildly undulating. The almost rectangular shaped track short and measures just 1m2f all the way round, with the steeplechase course featuring eight fairly easy jumps in total. The fifth fence lies on falling ground so can be tricky for more inexperienced runners but it catches fewer horses out now than it did in the past.
The hurdles course features five flights – two of which are in the home straight prior to the winning post. Other than the differing height of the obstacles, both courses are sharp and favour nippy types except on soft and heavy ground. The ability to travel well early on here is at real premium, as it’s a tough place to make up a lot of ground despite featuring a lengthy home straight.
Maintain the Pace
At some tracks horses can afford to linger deep before seeking to make up ground in the later stages. This is not the case at Market Rasen though as staying in touch here is of vital importance. Although pace analysis shows us that horses don’t need to lead early on, they can’t fall too far behind either.
For those not travelling well throughout, they’ll find it is a near impossible task to catch up as their rivals sling-shot round the final bend. It’s a flat straight to the line from this point on and at this stage, those that can demonstrate their turn of pace regularly prevail.
Of course there are those that set off too soon but as a general rule, most that launch their attack coming into the final row of obstacles fare best. With racing held over the summer, the ground here is often far from taxing and this allows horses to maintain their pace until the finishing post. The emphasis on speed combined with the unchallenging fences means that ex-flat horses enjoy a decent amount of success here too and they are certainly worth considering.
Major Meetings at Market Rasen
The most prestigious racing event at Market Rasen is undoubtedly the Summer Plate Event, which normally takes place on the third Saturday in July and features their two most important races. The Summer Hurdle is a 2m1f race whilst the Summer Plate is slightly longer at 2m6f, with both being among the most valuable National Hunt races staged in Britain over summer.
Dining and Hospitality
Private hospitality boxes are available on all race days, starting from £55 + VAT, with the price increasing depending on the importance of the meeting. There are two restaurants available on site, with the Brocklesby Suite restaurant starting from £70 per head, whilst the Paddocks Package is slightly cheaper at £50 per head.