2022 Race week 2 - 11th August 2021 - Higlights

Lingfield Park is a unique racecourse, as the only racecourse in the UK to stage Flat racing and National Hunt (Jumps) racing on the turf, and Flat racing during the Winter months on the All-Weather (AW) course inside the turf course, making it a popular venue all year round with around 80 fixtures to attend.

Location

This Surrey racecourse is often referred to as ‘leafy Lingfield’ and sits near the Surrey, Sussex, and Kent borders, roughly 25 miles south of London. The racecourse is easily accessible via a 5-minute walk or 15-minute circular bus route from Lingfield Station, which is a 50-minute train journey from London Victoria.

History

The racecourse is situated within the 450-acre estate which stretches from the South side of Lingfield Village almost to the Sussex border. It was originally opened as a National Hunt course, with the first raceday taking place in 1890 and was granted permission to run also as a Flat racing venue a few years later. HRH Edward, Prince of Wales opened the racecourse and visited on a number of occasions and allowed Lingfield Park to use the Prince of Wales’s feathers in its official heading, that are still incorporated into its logo today.  

In the 1930s Lingfield staged the Oaks and Derby Trials which acted as preparation races for the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby. The first winner of the Derby Trials went on to win the Derby, and the trials continue to give clues on the Epsom winners. Lingfield is a suitable location for the trials because the racecourse is of a similar nature to Epsom Downs with a sharp downhill turn into the straight, similar to Tattenham Corner at Epsom.

Like many racecourses during the World Wars, Lingfield racecourse was used for military purposes and housed prisoners of war until 1945, and in 1946 racing resumed. In 1987 an 18-hole golf course was completed on the land either side of the racecourse straight and each hole is named after a famous racehorse. After flooding and turf maintenance issues, limiting the number of racedays possible, in 1988 the AW track was constructed inside the turf course, which would become the first AW track in the UK.

Since the course was acquired by Arena Leisure PLC, the AW surface was replaced with a superior surface called Polytrack in 2001 and in the following years the Turf course and the main grandstand were improved, and the Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club was opened in 2010.

The Turf Track

The Tracks at Lingfield - Start positions for Racing League races

The round course is left-handed (horses run anti-clockwise) and undulating and is roughly 1m4f (1 ½ miles) with a sharp downhill turn into the straight. Any race over 7 furlongs in distance will incorporate the round course.

There is a 7f furlong straight used for races ranging from 5f - 7f 140 yards and is mostly downhill, allowing plenty of speed. In recent years there has been a notable advantage for horses with a high draw in the stalls in sprints on the straight course.

The All-Weather Track

Situated inside the turf track, the AW polytrack allows Flat racing to continue throughout the winter and in the evenings as the track is illuminated by floodlights. The polytrack surface rides faster than other surfaces, especially after rainfall when the surface is wet.

The track is left-handed and sharp, measuring just less than a mile and a quarter round and is used for distances ranging from 5f-1m5f. Sprints are run over two bends rather than on straights seen on the turf courses and the AW courses at Newcastle and Southwell. Due to the sharp nature of the course, it suits horses with speed and adaptability rather than strong gallopers.

The Stats

Track records for Racing League distances on the turf:

5f – 56.09 seconds (2011)

6f – 1m 8.48s (2019)

7f – 1m 20.44s (2020)

7 ½f – 1m 26.73s (1987)

1m1f – 1m 50.45s (2019)

1m2f – 2m 4.83s (2018)

1m3½f – 2m 23.95s (1990)

Track records for Racing League distances on the AW:

5f – 56.67s (2013)

6f – 1m 8.32s (2019)

7f – 1m 21.90s (2019)

1m – 1m 33.90s (2018)

1m2f – 2m 0.54s (2020)

1m4f - 2m 26.99s (2017)

Most-Winning Racing League Flat Trainer at Lingfield:

Richard Hannon

Most-Winning Flat Jockey at Lingfield:

Luke Morris

Notable Fixtures at Lingfield

The Lingfield Classic Trial at the beginning of May has been won by a number of horses that have gone on to win the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby. In 2019, Anapurna won the Oaks Trial and Anthony Van Dyck won the Derby Trial at Lingfield and they both went on to win the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby respectively.

On the AW course there is the Group 3 Winter Derby contest and the All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, which offers up a day of thrilling racing and attracts an audience of around 10,000 people each year.

Facilities

There are plenty of top-class facilities at Lingfield Park including multiple restaurants, bars, hospitality suites and outdoor amenities. To get a feel of the place, take a look at the racecourse map.

Racing League will be utilising free space inside and around the track to put on a real show, including food stalls, entertainment zone, fan-team interaction space and more.