Flat Racing Explained

Flat races in Great Britain are run over a variety of distances from five furlongs (3,300 feet (1,000 m)) to over 2 miles (3,200 m) and are generally called sprints, middle distance, or stayers races.

In Great Britain flat racing is split into two distinctive bands, conditions races and handicaps.

  • Conditions races are further split into:
    • Pattern races, also commonly known as group races
      • Group 1 – (classics and other races of major international importance)
      • Group 2 – (less important international races)
      • Group 3 – (primarily domestic races)
    • Listed races – have less prestige than the group races, but are still more important than handicaps.
  • Handicap races – where the Jockey Club official handicapper gives horses a different weight to carry according to their ability, are the bread and butter daily races, although some of these are also quite prestigious.

Classic Races – In British horse racing, the classics are a series of horse races run over the flat (i.e. without jumps). Each classic is run once each year and is restricted to intact horses (in other words, geldings are barred) that are three years old; two of them are further restricted to fillies only.

The five classic races are:

Did you know? There are 59 flat racecourses in the UK and Ireland.

Flat Racecourses

1, ASCOT / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / ENG, Berkshire

2, AYR / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / SCOT

3, BALLINROBE / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

4, BATH / FLAT  / UK, Somerset

5, BELLESTOWN / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

6, BEVERLEY / FLAT  / ENG, East Riding of Yorkshire

7, BRIGHTON / FLAT  / ENG, Brighton

8, CARLISLE / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, Cumbria

9, CATTERICK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, North Yorkshire

10, CHEPSTOW / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / WALES

11, CHESTER / FLAT  / ENG, Chester

12, CLONMEL / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

13, CORK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

14, CURRAGH / FLAT / IRE

15, DONCASTER / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, South Yorkshire

16, DOWN ROYAL / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

17, DOWNPATRICK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

18, DUNDALK / FLAT / IRE

19, EPSOM DOWNS / FLAT  / ENG, Surrey

20, FAIRYHOUSE / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

21, FFOS LAS / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / WALES

22, FOLKESTONE / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, Southeast England

23, GALWAY / FLAT /NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

24, GOODWOOD / FLAT  / ENG, West Sussex

25, GOWRAN PARK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

26, HAMILTON PARK / FLAT  / SCOT

27, HAYDOCK PARK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG Merseyside

28, HEREFORD / FLAT  / ENG, Herefordshire

29, KEMPTON PARK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ALL WEATHER  / ENG, Surrey

30, KILLARNEY / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

31, LAYTOWN / FLAT / IRE

32, LEICESTER / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT   / ENG, Leicestershire

33, LEOPARDSTOWN / FLAT /NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

34, LIMERICK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

35, LINGFIELD PARK / FLAT /NATIONAL HUNT / ALL WEATHER  / ENG, Surrey

36, LISTOWEL / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

37, MUSSLEBURGH / FLAT /NATIONAL HUNT   / UK

38, NAAS / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

39, NAVAN / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

40, NEWBURY / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT   / UK 

41, NEWCASTLE / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / UK

42, NEWMARKET / FLAT   / UK

43, NOTTINGHAM / FLAT   /  UK

44, PONTEFRACT / FLAT  / ENG

45, REDCAR / FLAT  / ENG 

46, RIPON / FLAT   / ENG

47, ROSCOMMON / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

48, SALISBURY / FLAT  / ENG, Wiltshire

49, SANDOWN PARK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, Surrey, London

50, SLIGO / FLAT  / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

51, THIRSK / FLAT  / ENG, North Yorkshire

52, TIPPERARY / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / IRE

53, TRAMORE / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

54, WARWICK / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, Warwickshire

55, WEXFORD / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / IRE

56, WINDSOR / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT  / ENG, Berkshire

57, WOLVERHAMPTON / FLAT / NATIONAL HUNT / ALL WEATHER  / ENG, West Midlands

58, YARMOUTH / FLAT  / ENG, Great Yarmouth

59, YORK / FLAT  / ENG, North Yorkshire,