grass Good (Good to Firm in places) cloud Mostly cloudy

directions Stable yard directions

Stables: 68 W Dyke Rd, Redcar TS10 1HL

Redcar Racecourse sits just inland from the North Sea in Redcar, North Yorkshire, and has been a flat‑racing venue since 1872, when meetings moved from the town's beach to the present site. Its origins on the sands go back to the early 18th century, with the final beach meeting held in 1870 before the new course opened with a permanent grandstand a few years later.

The track is a left‑handed, flat oval a little over a mile and a half, with sharpish bends and a long home straight. It also features a straight mile, created by a chute joining the round course, and is noted as the only straight mile in Britain that is both straight and level. The layout generally provides a fair test, though draw biases can appear at shorter trips.

Redcar's character has been shaped by its independence and its coastal setting. The course fell into disrepair during both World Wars when it was used first as an airfield and later as an army camp, but it was revived from 1946 under Major Leslie Petch, who oversaw major improvements including the 1964 grandstand. It later became the first British racecourse to install furlong markers and a timing clock.

The most important modern race held at Redcar is the Two‑Year‑Old Trophy, run each October and long regarded as a key late‑season juvenile test, with winners such as Pipalong, Captain Rio, Somnus and Limato going on to higher‑grade success. The Zetland Gold Cup in late spring is another longstanding feature of the calendar.

The racecourse's atmosphere reflects its seaside location and its local following from the Teesside area. The setting offers open views towards the North Sea and a straightforward, speed‑favouring track that regularly reveals promising young horses.