Huntingdon Racecourse

{{Short description|Horse racing venue in Cambridgeshire, England}}

{{Infobox UK Racecourse

| Name = Huntingdon Racecourse

| logo = File:Huntington_Racecourse_Logo_2022.png

| image = Posts and rails - geograph.org.uk - 1534340.jpg

| Website = https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/huntingdon/

| Location = Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

| Owner = Jockey Club Racecourses

| Channel = Racing TV

| CourseType = National Hunt

| NotableRaces = Peterborough Chase

| Prev = Hexham

| Next = Kelso

}}

Huntingdon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Brampton near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on a Site of Special Scientific Interest of the original Brampton Racecourse.

The most notable race held at Huntingdon Racecourse is the Peterborough Chase in December.

History

The first race meeting at Huntingdon Racecourse took place on Easter Monday, 1886. The race was a three mile steeplechase won by a horse named Catherine The Great. In 1920, the racecourse was part of the Huntingdon Steeplechase Group managed by Bob Lenton for 25 years.{{cite web|url=http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Huntingdon%20Racecourse%20History.html|title=Huntingdon Racecourse|publisher=greyhoundderby.com|access-date=20 April 2022}} In 1953, chairman of the committee John Goodcliff managed construction of the grandstand that still stands on the racecourse today.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingtv.com/racecourses/huntingdon|title=Huntingdon|publisher=Racing TV|access-date=20 April 2022}}

The Peterborough Chase is Huntingdon's showpiece event and started in 1969. By 1979 it secured its formal name as used today. The race has seen big name winners including Best Mate and One Man.{{cite web|url=https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/huntingdon/about/|title=ABOUT HUNTINGDON RACECOURSE

|publisher=The Jockey Club|access-date=20 April 2022}} Edredon Bleu is the most successful horse in the race, winning four times in a row between 1998 and 2001.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/how-bold-jumping-edredon-bleu-bravely-triumphed-in-the-king-george/347732|title=How bold-jumping Edredon Bleu bravely triumphed in the King George|publisher=Racing Post|access-date=20 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/huntingdon/media/news/2019/12/peterborough-chase/|title=STELLAR LINE-UP IN PROSPECT ON SUNDAY AS PETERBOROUGH CHASE REACHES ITS HALF CENTURY|publisher=The Jockey Club|access-date=20 April 2022}} Trainer Henrietta Knight saddled 8 winners in the race over 10 years.{{cite web|url=https://www.racecoursedirectory.co.uk/2016/05/comprehensive-details-about-huntingdon.html|title=Huntingdon Racecourse|publisher=Racecourse Directory|access-date=20 April 2022}}

Currently the racecourse is owned and operated by The Jockey Club.{{cite web|url=https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/about-us/|title=ABOUT THE JOCKEY CLUB

|publisher=The Jockey Club|access-date=20 April 2022}}

Huntingdon Racecourse has been voted Best Small Racecourse in South Midlands and East Anglia by the Racegoers Club twice in 2011 and 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/12426/7372322/best-small-course-in-the-north|title=Best small course in the North|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=20 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.racegoersclub.co.uk/news/2014-racecourse-of-the-year-awards/|title=2014 Awards|publisher=Racegoers Club|access-date=20 April 2022}}

Course

File:Welcome to Huntingdon Racecourse - Closed due to flooding - geograph.org.uk - 3240067.jpg

Huntingdon Racecourse only hosts National Hunt races. It is an oval shaped course that runs right-handed. It is notable for its flatness, with few undulations. It is a fast course, however due to its location there can be muddy and testing conditions.

The steeplechase course has nine fences, meanwhile the hurdle course has five on each circuit. The home straight features two fences for each type. Until 2008, Huntingdon featured a water jump.{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbettingsites.com/racecourses/huntingdon.html|title=Huntingdon Racecourse|publisher=UK Betting Sites|access-date=20 April 2022}}

The land the racecourse is on was originally known as Brampton Racecourse. It is a {{convert|21.1|hectare|acre|adj=on}} Site of Special Scientific Interest. It sits on the flood plain of Alconbury Brook and has a number of rare species including the largest population of green-winged orchids in the UK.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishracecourses.org/huntingdon/|title=Overview of Huntingdon Racecourse

|publisher=British Racecourse|access-date=20 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://bsbi.org//wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/VC31_Rare_Plant_Register_2015.pdf|title=BSBI Report|publisher=BSBI|access-date=20 April 2022}}

Over the years, Huntingdon Racecourse has suffered with extensive flooding which has caused a number of race days to be postponed.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-50894536|title=Huntingdon Racecourse: Flooding forces Boxing Day race cancellation

|publisher=BBC|access-date=20 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/images-of-flooding-at-huntingdon-racecourse-7297520|title=Stunning aerial images capture extent of floods at Cambs racecourse|publisher=Cambs Times|access-date=20 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/long-road-to-recovery-for-racecourse-8532128|title=Huntingdon Racecourse - surviving the pandemic and then came the floods|publisher=Hunts Post|access-date=20 April 2022}}