Southwell Racecourse
| Location | Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°04′10″N 0°54′22″W / 53.06944°N 0.90611°WCoordinates: 53°04′10″N 0°54′22″W / 53.06944°N 0.90611°W |
| Owned by | Arena Racing Company |
| Screened on | At The Races |
| Course type |
Flat (turf and all-weather) National Hunt |
| Official website | |
Southwell Racecourse (pronounced /ˈsʌðəl/ or /ˈsaʊθwɛl/) is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England. It is one of only five racecourses in the UK to have an all-weather track and is the only one with a fibresand surface. Fibresand is a mixture of sand and wispy fibres.
The racing is also of significance. The now unique fibresand racing surface is quite deep and so makes the track a good stamina test. Ability to stay the distance and fitness are therefore big advantages at Southwell. The track also often features many of the most hardworking jockeys throughout the winter, as well as plenty of high-profile stars from time to time.
National Hunt racing also occurs here. In 2007, the Great Yorkshire (now Skybet) Chase was held at Southwell, whilst Doncaster closed for redevelopment.
Southwell racecourse will always be associated with female jockey Hayley Turner, who grew up locally and had her first job in racing with a trainer based adjacent to the track.
The racecourse was forced to close temporarily in December 2012 when flooding caused major damage to both the track and the buildings on site.[1] Meetings scheduled for the all-weather flat course were transferred to Wolverhampton and Lingfield. The course successfully re-opened on 5 February 2013 with a seven-race flat meeting. Initial meetings following the re-opening will have a limited capacity while renovations continue.