Newmarket Races Guide

Newmarket Racecourse is the home of Flat racing in Britain, situated as it is in the racing hub of Newmarket town. 

Newmarket is widely considered Britain's premier training centre and, within that, it contains the home of Flat racing. 

Newmarket contains two tracks, the Rowley Mile and the July Course and it is the venue for the opening Classics of the British season, the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, usually run in late April-early May.

What	Guineas Festival 2024
Where	Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket
When	Friday 3rd May – Sunday 5th May, 2024
How to watch	bet365 Sports Live Streaming, ITV & Racing TV

The heartland of British racing 

Situated just to the west of the town of Newmarket in Suffolk, this course is regarded as the home of UK Flat racing and has been staging racing for more than 350 years.

Newmarket is home to the National Horseracing Museum and the National Stud, as well as being densely populated with racing yards.

Newmarket has two Flat racecourses, the Rowley Mile and the July Course – the latter being used in midsummer as the name suggests – with the Rowley Mile in use during April and May and again in the autumn.

Both courses at Newmarket are typified by long, wide straights, ensuring they can accommodate large fields and they are generally considered 'fair' tracks to all competitors.

Rowley Mile is the Classic test

Home to the longest straight in Britain, the Rowley Mile is a wide, galloping track with a 10-furlong straight run-in.

The famous Newmarket Dip – about two furlongs from home – is a real rest of a horses' ability to remain balanced on the undulations and can be the undoing of many would-be Classic contenders in the 2000 and 1000 Guineas.

Exiting 'the dip', it is then rising ground all the way to the winning line, ensuring a thorough stamina test. That finishing hill has seen many a Newmarket contender come unstuck, with jockeys needing to be aware of the need not to commit too soon. 

Famous Races

The main events on the Rowley Mile are the opening two Classics of the British season, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, run in late April/early May over a mile for three-year-old fillies and colts.

Newmarket's Classic trials – the bet365 Craven Stakes and Nell Gwyn Stakes – are early spring races of note, while in the autumn end of season prizes include the Middle Park Stakes, Cheveley Park Stakes, Dewhurst Stakes and Fillies Mile and, latterly, the Cambridgeshire and Cesarewitch are two of the biggest handicaps in the calendar.

The July Course

The July Course is two miles and a furlong in length with a sharp right-handed bend at the halfway point. One key difference in the track is the July Course has a downhill furlong not long after halfway, offering some respite for runners, before a steady climb to the line.

Ability to see out a trip remains a prerequisite. The long straight is once again a factor in ensuring fairness overall.

The July Meeting hosts a pair of Group 1 races, the July Cup and Falmouth Stakes, that are the standouts contests on this course.

A day out at Newmarket races 

Newmarket has three enclosures for racegoers to enjoy the action. They are the Premier Enclosure, the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure and the Garden Enclosure.

All three offer a variety of raceday experiences, from Parade Ring viewing to restaurants and food outlets and bars. The dress code is smart in the Premier Enclosure, with a more relaxed feel in the remaining areas catering for all tastes during a day at the races. 

Alongside the action on track, Newmarket often provides post-racing entertainment in the form of concerts which are open to all racegoers.

Newmarket, along with many Jockey Club venues, has moved away from formal dress codes and now encourages patrons to come "dressed to feel your best".

During the Guineas Festival, racegoers may also choose the Century Stand where guests can expect to enjoy a wonderful alfresco experience with fabulous views and dedicated amenities.