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Brighton racecourse offers the perfect location for seaside racing at its best. Only five minutes travel from the town centre, the course's vantage point on an initial ridge of the Sussex Downs, ensures on most race days, race-goers enjoy a panoramic vista of Brighton and then on outwards to the historic waterway of the English Channel.
Recorded in a 1683 copy of The Jockies Intelligencer, is a report of a race meeting at the Hangleton Course, which was to the west of Brighton, and this appears to be the first evidence of horse racing being staged in the Brighton area.
However, it was 1783 before the first official Brighton meeting was recorded in the Jockey Club Racing Calendar. It is known from this record, the first official races were staged on the current racecourse site of Whitehawk Hill, and newspaper records of the time suggest a sizeable crowd attended this first official race meeting.
In August 1784, the Brighton races attracted the presence of the then Prince of Wales, and for several years thereafter, the Prince and his entourage attended and sponsored races at the course.
This royal patronage attracted large crowds, which in turn attracted suppliers of beer, wines and snacks, and with large and boisterous crowds, the nobles and landed gentry attending the racing soon wanted a facility to obtain a better view of the racing. Consequently, a small grandstand was then added adjacent to the home straight of the race track.
In these early years, the course was longer than the modern layout. In fact, the original course was two miles in length, and had a loop at the far end. This meant the 4 mile race staged at that time involved running away from the finishing line in the wrong direction, then at the far end, taking the loop, before returning in the normal direction to the winning post - very similar to the way the long distance races are run at the modern Glorious Goodwood meeting.
Brighton suffered a major setback in its fortunes as a racetrack when the Prince of Wales had to become Prince Regent due to his father's illness. As a result, the races became infrequent, and when they did occur, they were poorly attended.
Even the introduction of hurdle races in the early eighteen thirties failed to improve matters, but happily for horseracing in Brighton, fortunes were reversed by the completion of the railway line from London to Brighton, as the railway company helped the local Grandstand Trust to finance the building of a new grandstand, and after this facility opened in 1851, the annual races on Whitehawk Hill were revived, and started to attract day visitors from London.
Hurdle racing ceased in 1889, but flat race meetings continued to develop, and with the growth of the seaside holiday market, they actually began to flourish. By the 1930's, the Brighton races were so successful, they attracted the racecourse gangs, depicted so well in Graham Greenes Brighton Rock.
However, the growth of the foreign package tour in the nineteen sixties led to a drop in seaside visitors, and this created a major decline in the fortunes of the racecourse. Happily, the 1990's take over by the current owners, Northern Racing, led to a three year capital investment programme, and this saw the rebuilding of the racecourse and its facilities. An accompanying marketing campaign then drew the crowds back to this picturesque modern course, and in recent years, the boom in the housing market in the Brighton area has led to a major boost in the number of race-goers now returning to the race meetings held at the Brighton course.
In 2011, Brighton will stage around 20 meetings, the highlight being the three day meeting in early August, which coincides with the Brighton Festival.
Brighton only stages flat race meetings.
In relation to the grandstands, the racetrack is a letter U lying on its side, with its curved end to the left of the grandstands. The course has a maximum race distance of 1 and a half miles. The track is raced left handed, and is markedly undulating throughout its length. Most unusually, for longer races, to allow horses safe passage, the public highway of Wilson Road has to be closed, and then turfed.
Brightons sharp nature suits horses that can sit close to the pace. In sprint races, a low draw is generally advantageous.
The listings below do not include the facilities available to Annual Members, Owners and Trainers, and Corporate Guests. These can be obtained by contacting the racecourse.
Good views of the racing action are available in most areas, particularly from the refurbished and fully covered grandstand.
The Grandstand in this section offers covered seating which overlooks the winning post, parade ring, and the winners enclosure.
the Silks restaurant offers premier badge holders fine dining. For the more popular meetings, advance booking is recommended.
The balcony bar offers excellent views of the home straight and winning post. While the facilities offered by the premier enclosure bar are always very popular.
Covered seating in the grandstand, plus access to the parade ring and winners enclosure, come as standard on this ticket.
The enclosure is served by the fully stocked Long Bar on the ground floor, plus there is a smaller bar on the first floor of the grandstand. These bar facilities are complimented by numerous snack food providers.
Disabled visitors are welcome. The racecourse ensures access to virtually all public areas, with lifts, and specialist toilet facilities available in the grandstand.
Tuesday 17 May
Thursday 26 May
Friday 27 May
Tuesday 14 June
If heading into Brighton on the A23, the easiest route involves turning east onto the A27 Brighton bypass, follow the signs for Sussex University, then take the B2123 to Woodingdean. At the first set of traffic lights, turn right, and the racecourse is 1 mile ahead on your left hand side.
If coming via Brighton city centre, head for the sea front, and the Palace Pier. Drive eastbound along Marine Parade, turn right at the first set of traffic lights into Low Rock Gardens, then turn right at the second set of traffic lights into Edward Street. Take the first left into Freshfield Road, and the racecourse is at the top of the hill.
Car parking at the course is free of charge.
Brighton station is 1 hour from London, and regular services operate from, London Victoria, Kings Cross, and London Bridge stations. There are also regular Coastway rail services from, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hastings, Worthing, and Portsmouth.
Two hours before the first race, a shuttle bus service starts to operate between Brighton railway station and the racecourse. The bus parks about 200 yards South of the station, on Queens Road.
After racing, the shuttle bus operates return trips.
Gatwick is the nearest London airport, around 22 miles away. However, light aircraft, and helicopters, can obtain permission to land at Shoreham Airport, just 6 miles from the racecourse. Shoreham Airport tel no: 01273 29 69 00.
In addition, helicopters can also obtain prior permission from the racecourse company, for race day landings on the course helipad.
Be overwhelmed by the grandness of the sea-facing Windsor Restaurant with it’s elegant décor and sparkling chandeliers where you can dine in style choosing from delicious dishes put together using only the very best fresh, local Sussex produce. Declutter the mind and rejuvenate the soul at the hotel’s Living Well Health Spa and swimming pool. Free for guests, you can dip in and out all day long using the spa pool, sauna, steam room and expansive swimming pool, with Spa extras to splash out on such as top-to-toe massages, marine algae wraps, hot stone treatments and Indian head massages.
http://www.hilton.co.uk/brightonmet