Guide
You don’t need to know anything about horses, dress up in a top hat or place a bet to have a brilliant day. Here’s how to choose a meeting, which ticket to buy, what to wear and what actually happens on the day.
Start here
Britain has 61 racecourses and well over a thousand racedays a year, so the first decision is what kind of day you want. Three questions narrow it down quickly.
The great festivals, such as the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National or Royal Ascot, are unforgettable but busy and expensive, and tickets sell out. An ordinary Saturday or a midweek meeting at a smaller course costs a fraction of the price, and you can get right up to the rails.
Jumps racing, over hurdles and fences, runs mainly from autumn to spring and has the bigger crowds in winter. Flat racing runs mainly from spring to autumn, often with summer evening meetings and music after racing. Both are easy to enjoy on your first visit.
Some courses are a short walk or shuttle from a town centre, such as York, Chester and Cheltenham. Others, such as Cartmel in the Lake District, make a lovely weekend. Every course guide lists hotels, pubs and things to do nearby.
Admission at a smaller course can be £10 or less if you book ahead, and some York and Huntingdon days start at £5. The big festivals start around £30 and rise steeply for the best enclosures. Booking in advance is almost always cheaper than paying on the gate.
The racecourse directory lets you filter all 61 courses by country and by the month you want to go.
Tickets
Most racecourses split the crowd into two or three areas called enclosures. The names vary, but the pattern is the same everywhere: the dearest ticket gets you closest to the winning post and the horses, and usually lets you into the cheaper areas too.
Every course guide on this site has a side-by-side comparison of its enclosures, with prices, views, food, dress codes and entrances. For example, see Cheltenham’s three enclosures or York’s.
What to wear
There’s no single racing dress code. It depends on the course, the enclosure and the day, and some courses have no code at all. Three examples show the range:
There’s no formal dress code in the public enclosures, but smart is usual, and tweed is the unofficial uniform of Festival week. It can be bitterly cold on Cleeve Hill, so a warm coat and comfortable boots matter more than anything.
Cartmel is a relaxed country course on grass with little shelter. Smart casual in the Paddock, anything goes in the Course Enclosure, and always a waterproof and sensible shoes.
In the County Stand, men must wear a jacket, collared shirt and tie. In the Grandstand & Paddock and the Clocktower Enclosure there’s no formal code, though many people still dress up, especially on Ebor Ladies Day.
You’ll be on your feet and outdoors for hours. Whatever you wear, choose shoes you can stand and walk on grass in, and check your course guide for the code in your enclosure. Royal Ascot is the exception that has a full rulebook.
On the day
Arriving early is part of the fun: find your bearings, get a drink, look at the racecard (the programme, which lists every race and runner) and find a spot to watch from.
About 20 minutes before each race the horses are walked round the Parade Ring and the jockeys come out in their colours. It’s the best place to see them up close.
Races last from about a minute on the Flat to around nine minutes for the Grand National. Big screens show the parts of the course you can’t see.
There are usually six to eight races, roughly half an hour apart, so there’s plenty of time for food, a wander, or watching the winner come back to the Winners’ Enclosure.
Many summer meetings have music after racing. Otherwise, either leave a few minutes before the last race or relax for half an hour while the crowds clear.
Food and drink
Every course has bars and food outlets, from burger vans to sit-down restaurants, and most premium enclosures add champagne bars and seafood. Whether you can bring your own varies a lot: Cartmel and York’s Clocktower Enclosure welcome picnics, while many courses don’t allow outside food or drink at all. Each course guide says what’s allowed. If you want a guaranteed table, book a restaurant or hospitality package in advance, as they sell out for the big days.
Families
Racing is a great family day out, and at most Jockey Club and Arena Racing courses under-18s go free with an adult. There are important exceptions: at the Cheltenham Festival children aged 5 and over need a half-price ticket, and some festival and concert days charge for children. Under-18s usually have to be with an adult aged 21 or over, often with a limit of two or three children per adult. Look for family racedays, which add free entertainment, and check your course guide for the exact rules.
Travel
Many courses run raceday shuttle buses from the nearest station, and several, such as Newbury and Kempton Park, have their own station. Parking is free at most courses but can be charged, or must be pre-booked, on big days. The journey home is the part people forget: thousands of people leave at once, so check your last train or book a taxi in advance, and expect queues for the car parks. Each course guide covers trains, buses, parking and taxi drop-off points.
Betting
You don’t need to bet to enjoy a day at the races, and plenty of people never do. If you’d like to, on-course bookmakers and the Tote are there all day. You must be 18 or over; decide what you’re happy to spend before you arrive and stick to it.
Next step
Pick a course and use its guide for the details that matter on the day: dates and prices, every enclosure, travel, where to stay and what to bring.
Search and filter by country and month.
Jumps racing’s home, and the Festival every March.
Top-class Flat racing a walk from the city centre.
A summer country raceday in the Lake District.
