Cartmel Races

Cartmel Racecourse is one of the gems of British racing, a distinctive and picturesque course nestled in a woody valley in the heart of the Lake District.

Despite its remote location, and the fact it hosts only nine days of jump racing each summer, Cartmel races attracts enormous crowds. Up to 20,000 congregate in the middle of the course, which is only one mile round, with a finishing straight that bisects the circuit.

The most valuable race is the Cumbria Crystal Hurdle, held each July. The short, sharp nature of the track means it favours horses that race prominently – although it doesn’t pay to go for home too soon. The run-in of nearly half a mile from the last fence is the longest in the country.

Cartmel Races Fixtures And Events 2021

jan 2021

feb 2021

mar 2021

apr 2021

may 2021

jun 2021

jul 2021

aug 2021

sept 2021

oct 2021

nov 2021

dec 2021

There are no events this month

SAT 29th May Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

MON 31st May Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

WED 2nd Jun Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

FRI 25th Jun Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

SUN 27th Jun Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

SAT 17th Jul Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

MON 19th Jul Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

SAT 28th Aug Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

MON 30th Aug Cartmel North

Turf Jump Afternoon

There are no events this month

Confirmed races in plain text. Confirmed pattern races in bold text. Unconfirmed races in grey text.

Cartmel Races Tips

Donald McCain sends plenty of runners up to Cartmel Racecourse from Cheshire and has a good strike rate, while local trainer James Moffatt also enjoys plenty of success here.
Look out for runners sent across the Irish Sea from the powerful Gordon Elliott yard too.
Peter Bowen often makes the long trek from Wales a winning one, with many of his runners ridden by his son Sean Bowen, who clearly has a liking for the track.

Racing at Cartmel by Steve M. Walker is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.2

The jockey's view

By Bryony Frost - Most successful female jump jockey in history

Cartmel Racecourse is right-handed and very sharp. It’s mainly flat but there are undulations on the ground so you need a balanced horse and one who likes to run forward in the field.

There’s not a lot of places to make up ground because it's so tight but you do have a long run in that swings right up the middle of the track. You come up the diagonal so you need a horse with good tunnel vision because if you are in front it’s a long way to keep kicking so a horse that can stay focused throughout is great. Also, if you win at Cartmel they even give you sticky toffee pudding as a prize!