Race type - Flat
Beverley
Course details
In the Westwood, an open space of pasture and woodland just west of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Beverley Racecourse has witnessed flat racing since the mid-18th century. The season here runs from April to September, during which there are 19 meetings. One characteristic of this right-turning course is that it slopes to the left, so a low draw is a big advantage. Keep an eye out for the Beverley Bullet Sprint in August.
GUIDE - For Racecourse
Right-handed, oval circuit of 1m3f, with two spurs.
Historic Beverley combines the medieval with the Tudor into one of England's prettiest towns and that no doubt helps swell the crowds for the 20 flat meetings that take place here. The racing is no modern phenomenon either with the first recorded meeting on the current site dating back to 1690, with the first grandstand being erected in 1767. Racing flourished and at one stage in the early 19th century the track took over from York as the top racing venue in the north-east. Whilst that's no longer the case, visitors these days are rarely left disappointed and the two-day meeting held here in late June is highly recommended.
Track / Draw Bias:
A high (now low) draw used to be essential on the straight 5f course and also on the round course in races over 7f and 1m. This lasted for many years, much to the annoyance of bookmakers, and it was not uncommon for the most badly-drawn runners to be withdrawn by their trainers on the provision of a questionable 'vet's certificate', which became known as 'Beverley syndrome'. However, racing's rulers (no doubt influenced by bookmakers) cried enough and a more selective watering policy in recent seasons has all but negated any bias and races now tend to develop in the centre of the course. Therefore, it's probably best to not get too hung up on the draw these days.
Principal Races:
The most valuable races take place over 5f with the aptly-named Listed Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes in late August attracting sprinters on the verge of Group class, and the Hilary Needler Trophy for two-year-old fillies the feature of the late May meeting. The rest of the racing is fairly modest but decent-sized fields ensure it is competitive.
Course Characteristics
Whilst being a flat racing venue, the terrain is far from flat with a significant downhill section in the back straight and an even steeper climb over the final 3f right up to the finishing line. That doesn't suit every horse and course specialists are common with the most celebrated being the well-named Rapid Lad, who won 12 times here and has a race named in his honour. The spur at the end of the back straight provides the start for 1m2f races, with a further spur at the end of home straight allowing races to take place over a straight 5f - this also doubles up as the start for 2m races. With some sharp turns to negotiate on the round course, it pays for jockeys to lie handy although they don't want to go too hard as the uphill finish takes its toll on horse's stamina. For this reason, the 5f races for two-year-olds can turn into a real slog and 6f horses dropping back in distance must be given strong consideration.
Top Trainers:
Mark Johnston trains not far from the course and rarely leaves a meeting empty-handed, as evidenced by his 44 winners in the last five seasons at a cracking strike rate of 25%. Richard Fahey is not far behind on 35 and counting albeit at a more modest strike rate. The track is also a happy hunting ground for the stables of Kevin Ryan, Paul Midgley and Tim Easterby, while those runners trained Bryan Smart have proved particularly profitable to follow in recent seasons with his 13 winners yielding a level stakes profit of over £40.
Top Jockeys:
The battle between Paul Hanagan and Silvestre De Sousa for the 2011 jockey's championship was fought out on courses like Beverley and it's no surprise to see the pair leading the way numerically with 39 and 35 winners respectively over the past five seasons. With the duo likely to ride more in the south in future on account of lucrative retainers with Sheikh Hamdan and Godolphin respectively, there should be more opportunities for the likes of Robert Winston, Graham Gibbons and Joe Fanning, all of whom ride this track supremely well.