Newmarket Racing

Bet on a break! Newmarket racing is rooted in Suffolk history and is alive and kicking turf today as one of the most exciting racecourses in the UK. Over 2500 racehorses, some 70 licensed trainers and more than 60 stud farms reside in Newmarket, and if that's not enough horsepower for you, here are some more facts about Newmarket racing. It has 100 vets, two racecourse, possesses the world’s largest expanse of tended grassland, is home to the the highest class racing event in Europe called Champions’ Day, and finally, will hit a new record for racing prize money in 2007 of almost £7.5 million. Wow!



Who started horse racing as we know it today? Blame King Charles II for all the fun. The Rowley Mile is named after his horse, ‘Old Rowley’. Rules for racing had to start somewhere, and they were written down for racing enthusiast Charles and his loyal subjects in 1664 - and they were off, for the first time ever in an official manner, on this very Newmarket course. Of course, the subjects had to let their King win sometimes, and so he did, pipping the post regally in 1671.

There is no traceable history of gambling but it seems to have already become a well-established pastime by the time the first records of human life were written (is it as old as the first two humans?). Racing can be enjoyed just as it is for its tremendous and emotional atmosphere alone, but a flutter is fun. Whatever your betting strategy is, a complicated mathematical computer programme or the silliest name you can spot on the card, racing is for all.

Newmarket’s horse attractions don’t stop there. The bloodstock auction world is fascinating, and you can witness auctions in progress at Tattersalls Park Paddocks. You can join a tour of Newmarket’s National Stud Farm, and find out what the business of bloodstock is all about. Newmarket has a racing museum, and after that, you can take a leisurely stroll of Newmarket itself, a vibrant and historic town with quaint streets packed with historical buildings, shopping, and…bookmakers.

Also see -

National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket

The National Stud, Newmarket

Eating Out in Newmarket

Have a fantastic day out at Newmarket Racing!

Newmarket is also a thriving town, with excellent shopping facilities, parking and a wide range of superb accommodation for those wishing to stay overnight.
Accommodation in Newmarket


Have you spent a day at the races in Newmarket? Please send all comments and reviews to us at suffolkguides.admin@suffolktouristguide.com.