Bath Racecourse

Set in the South West English countryside, Bath racecourse is a popular thoroughbred horse racing venue that hosts approximately 22 flat race meets a year. Geographically Bath racecourse is located on Lansdown Hill, between the cities of Bath and Bristol. Bath is one of sixteen racecourses privately owned and operated by Arena Racing Company.

Bath Racecourse History

The first unofficial racing occurred in Bath in 1728, with the first official race meeting happening in 1811. For a long period of time, there was only a two-day race meet once a year at Bath. Gradually, however, that number increased to the present 22 annual fixtures. Bath became famous for the Somerset Stakes, which is still a popular event each year. The Royal Airforce named Bath racecourse RAF North Stoke in World War 2 and used it as a landing area.

In 1953, an intricate, infamous betting coup occurred in Bath, where two horses were swapped and the power supply to the track cut (leaving the odds stagnant countrywide).

The racecourse is a left-handed track, slightly over 2400 metres in circumference and is 238 metres above sea level, making it the highest altitude flat track in the UK. Only races over 1000 and 1100 metres (5 and 5.5 furlongs) are raced down the straight. All other races are around the bend. Bath is known as a track where course specialists thrive. With its high altitude, slightly uneven surface and demanding uphill home straight some horses thrive while others fail dismally. The going at Bath is seldom soft and high draws appear to be an advantage over sprints, with no draw bias apparent over longer distances.

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