What are the main facts about Newmarket Racecourse?

Affectionately known as ‘Headquarters’, Newmarket Racecourse, in Suffolk, is a world-famous sporting venue with a long, illustrious history dating back over three and a half centuries. Indeed, it was the ‘Merry Monarch, King Charles II who, in 1666, established the King’s Plate, which still exists as the Newmarket Town Plate, on the original Round Course. Nowadays, part of the Round Course is used just once a year for that historic race, but Newmarket is also home to two much better-known courses, the Rowley Mile and the July Course.

Notwithstanding the undulations in the first six furlongs of the straight Bunbury Mile, on the July Course, and the last two furlongs of the Rowley Mile, which run downhill and then up again to form the so-called ‘Dip’, both courses are essentially galloping in nature. In both cases, the uphill climb from the furlong marker to the winning post exposes any stamina frailties, particulary in those who commit for home too soon.

On the Rowley Mile, the principal meetings are the Craven Meeting in April, the Guineas Festival in May, the Cambridgeshire Meeting in September and the Future Champions Festival in October. Aside from the first two Classics of the season, the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, the Rowley Mile hosts the Cheveley Park Stakes, Middle Park Stakes, Sun Chariot Stakes Dewhurst Stakes and the Fillies’ Mile in the autumn, not to mention two major ‘Haritage’ handicaps in the form of the Cambridgeshire and Cesarewitch. On the July Course, the July Meeting features the July Cup, Falmouth Stakes and Bunbury Cup.