Carlisle Racecourse

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Carlisle Racecourse is situated a short distance away from Carlisle itself and is found in Blackwell village, Cumbria, England. The racecourse caters for flat and national hunt thoroughbred racing and is home to one of the oldest horse races globally – the Carlisle Bell. The event is held each year in June, alongside another calendar highlight – the Cumberland Plate. Another noteworthy feature race at the venue is the King’s Plate.

Carlisle Racecourse History

Racing in the area began way back in 1599, with the first running of the legendary Carlisle Bell, a race run over 1566 metres each June. The race got its name from the prize of bells won by victors during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The historic bells, missing for many years,  are now kept under lock and key at the Carlisle Guildhall Museum. The current course was opened in 1904 after being moved closer to the city of Carlisle. Shortly after the Totalisator Board was formed, Carlisle racecourse had the distinction of becoming the first racecourse in Britain to have totalisator facilities.

Carlise racecourse is an undulating right-handed flat and jumps track with a circumference of a shade over 2400 metres. Racing takes place year-round at the venue, but the track is notorious for persistent heavy going during winter, giving the edge to known ‘mudlarks’. All races occur around the bend at Carlisle, even the sprints, which technically are down the straight but feature a kink in the railing. Stamina and tenacity are of the utmost importance at this course due to the undulations and frequent heavy going. There is little to no documented draw bias at Carlisle, but the fences are not to be underestimated and are renowned for being particularly challenging. Also demanding is the punishing uphill run to the finishing line. 

One interesting fact about Carlisle racecourse is that the great Red Rum was a frequent competitor, often using the track’s brutal jumps races as a warm-up for his Aintree conquests. 

The form at this particular racing venue can be tricky to study, partly because you’ll need to attribute extra attention to horses uniquely suited to the racecourse. Once you’ve done that, though, you would be in for some profitable punting! And, it can get even more lucrative if you scoop up one of these great offers for either a risk-free wager or to boost your gambling ammo: