Take a read through the latest news and updates from Huntingdon Racecourse.
Latest News
A small but select field of six lined up for a feature race of the year, the Fitzdares Peterborough Chase back on 5th December. First Flow, who provided Kim Bailey with his second winner of the race following on from Charbel in 2019, proved that he wasn’t hostage to testing ground as he stayed on strongly to deny Funambule Sivola by four-and-a-half lengths. He is already a Grade 1 winner having taken the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January 2021 and he will return to the Berkshire venue to defend his crown in the hotly anticipated event against Shishkin and Energumene.
On the same card, the highly touted Balco Coastal, trained by Nicky Henderson, made an impressive winning hurdling debut. He has subsequently followed up at Ludlow and his trainer has identified our £30,000 Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle (Listed) on 10th February, en-route to the Cheltenham Festival, as his next target. The Seven Barrows handler has won the race twice, most recently with Shishkin in 2020.
Our first feature race of 2022, the £25,000 Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle, was won in a driving finish by the Gary Moore-trained Kotmask, who has now won both starts for the yard. Whilst still green, he battled well to deny Collingham by a neck and there will be more to come from this four-year-old in the future.
The £75,000 Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase has quickly become established as one of the leading mares’ races since first being staged in 2016 and we are likely to see some of the leading mares’, from both Britain and Ireland, line-up on 28th January. On the same afternoon, there will be further clues as we stage the latest Pertemps Qualifier over 3m1f. The first six will qualify for the Final on the third day of Cheltenham.
Alongside the aforementioned Sidney Banks on 10th February, we stage another £30,000 prize, the Racing TV Handicap Hurdle over 2m3½f. This race is always well-supported and an increase in prize money for this season will hopefully provide another competitive renewal.
Our busy period continues with another four fixtures staged between 24th February and 24th March before our annual Easter Monday highlight on 18th April.
Don’t forget that our usual Spring Bank Holiday Monday fixture at the end of May has been moved for this year only to the Bank Holiday on Friday 3rd June to coincide with the celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
I am pleased to say that excellent progress has been made on reinstating our facilities after the flood damage of last winter. Though there is still much work to do, we have been able to reopen most of our indoor facilities to provide some respite from the cold! We are grateful for your continued patience while these works are completed.
Your Annual Badge package includes free entry to the following racecourses on these specific days upon presentation of your 2021 Huntingdon Metal Badge.
Reciprocals are correct at the time of print to the best of our knowledge: they are subject to change and further dates will be confirmed at a later date as some racecourses are still reviewing their own annual membership packages. Please check the website for updates or call the Huntingdon Office on 01480 453373.
Please also contact the individual racecourse prior to your visit regarding parking, areas you may access, use of private boxes, restaurant offers and reservations etc.
2022
January
Saturday 22nd – Haydock Park
February
Wednesday 2nd - Leicester
Wednesday 16th – Hereford
Thursday 17th – Sandown Park
Saturday 26th – Chelmsford
March
Thursday 3rd – Taunton
Friday 11th – Leicester
Monday 14th - Plumpton
Friday 18th - Fakenham
Saturday 19th – Kempton Park
Tuesday 22nd – Wetherby
Sunday 27th – Ascot
Wednesday 30th – Market Rasen
April
Wednesday 13th – Newmarket
Saturday 16th (Eve) - Brighton
Wednesday 20th – Lingfield
Monday 25th (Eve) – Royal Windsor
Tuesday 26th – Punchestown
May
Wednesday 4th - Kelso
Friday 6th – Ripon (Eve)
Monday 9th - Southwell
Monday 16th – Killarney
Sunday 22nd - Nottingham
Tuesday 24th - Newcastle
June
Saturday 4th – Hexham
Thursday 16th - Leopardstown
Friday 17th – Market Rasen
Sunday 19th – Worcester
Saturday 25th – Hickstead Derby
Sunday 26th – Curragh
Thursday 30th – Great Yarmouth
July
Sunday 3rd – Market Rasen
Tuesday 5th (eve) – Brighton
Thursday 5th – Pontefract
Saturday 9th – Hamilton
Tuesday 12th – Southwell
Monday 18th - Cartmel
Sunday 24th – Uttoxeter
Sunday 24th - Chelmsford
Monday 25th – Newton Abbot
Thursday 28th – Longines Royal International Horse Show
Sunday 31st – Cowdray Park Polo Club (Challenge Cup Final)
August
Tuesday 2nd - Catterick
Saturday 13th – Newmarket
Friday 19th – Salisbury
Tuesday 23rd – Bangor On Dee
Wednesday 24th - Musselburgh
September
Monday 5th – Perth
Tuesday 13th – Redcar
Wednesday 14th – Beverley
Wednesday 21st – Goodwood
Sunday 25th – Epsom Downs
Wednesday 28th - Nottingham
New Reciprocal Arrangement:
Brampton Park Golf Club have kindly offered Huntingdon Annual Badge Holders the opportunity to obtain a reduced green fee of £20 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This needs to be booked in advance by calling the Pro Shop on 01480 454705, please show your metal badge upon arrival to redeem this offer.
