Carlisle Racecourse & Betting Review: Popular Events, Best Offers and Facts

For a brief overview of the top features of some of the better UK betting sites for wagering on races at the Carlisle Racecourse, you can have a look at the table shown above. However, for a more thorough insight, where you’ll find historical facts, general stats and figures, technical course info and more, continue reading through the remainder of the article. When you’re done, you’ll know everything there is to know about the popular racecourse and you’ll be able to go ahead and start wagering on the different races held there with total confidence.

The Turf Itself

Carlisle Racecourse is right-handed – something which is quite unusual for UK horse racing tracks – with a pretty steep uphill finish of just over three furlongs on both the flat and the jump racecourse, which means that a fair amount of stamina is needed here. It is a pear-shaped, galloping course with a total distance of around one-and-a-half miles. For seven-furlong-long races, it pays to get a good position on the final sweeping turn – up the centre is ideal. For long-distance races, positioning isn’t so important as the field tends to spread out evenly after about a mile and three furlongs. For sprint races, the field again tends to fan out pretty early on. In addition, there are three jump racing tracks at Carlisle: a steeplechase track around the outside and two hurdle courses in the middle, which by all accounts aren’t particularly testing.

Most Popular Carlisle Horse Racing Events

Given that Carlisle horse racing is open to both flat and National Hunt races all through the year, it stands to reason that there are a few events of real worth that take place. On the flat course, there’s the June meeting where the Cumberland Plate, a Class 4 handicap event for horses aged three-years-old and above with a purse of around £27,000; and the Carlisle Plate, a one-mile-long race with a £22,000 purse and also reserved for horses aged three years and older.

The jumps course has become increasingly popular in recent times, with the calibre of rider competing improving significantly. The feature race is the Colin Parker Memorial Chase, a Class 1 race of 2 miles and 4 furlongs for horses aged over four years, and a generous purse of £30,000 – the first-place competitor takes home around £17,000, with the rest shared among the second, third and fourth-place runners.

Some Interesting Facts

The Carlisle horse racing track serves as a very important early-season tester, particularly for the jump racing season. The Autumn meeting is staged when the National Hunt season has just kicked off, with performances here often providing useful pointers for what kind of form the horses are in. Red Rum, for instance, the champion steeplechaser won a few races at Carlisle before going on to win an unprecedented three Grand National titles in 1963, 74’ and 77’. He is perhaps the most famous horse ever to have run there; he has a life-size statue made in his honour inside the wonderful Aintree Racecourse, a bronze statue inside the Wayfarers Arcade in Southport, and a race, the Red Rum Handicap Chase, named after him.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1904	Carlisle Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Carlisle Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	2m 4f
Surface:	Turf
Event:	National Hunt
Average Temperature:	2°/20°
Racecourse Capacity:	16000

Other influential horses that have won in Carlisle include Many Clouds, an Irish-bred British-trained gelding that went on win the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2014, and the Grand National in 2015; Tidal Bay, another Irish-bred thoroughbred that won the Ankle Challenge Trophy, the bet365 Gold Cup and the Lexus Chase in his career; and Monet’s Garden, winner of 17 from 32 starts in his six-year-long career and champion of the Ascot Hurdle, the Ascot Chase and the Old Roan Chase. The status of Carlisle Racecourse horse racing betting has been enhanced due to top competitors such as these.

Carlisle Racecourse: The Story so Far

Horse Racing at Carlisle has a remarkable history, with racing dating back as far as the 16th century. The first race ever recorded there is the Carlisle Bell, which was first run in 1599 and offered a prize of two bells! Astonishingly, the original bells are still brought to the race every year to commemorate its unique heritage. Replica bells are given to the winner, along with around £15,000 – a lot more than was awarded when it first started. Another piece of history worth nothing is that Carlisle horse racing betting first exploded when the Tote opened back in 1929. It was it was the first racecourse in the UK to host pool betting when the company officially took assumed control of the industry.

It was shortly after 1904 when the main grandstand was erected and the Carlisle horse racing track began to resemble its present-day design. Though, in 2002 the impressive Jubilee Grandstand was erected, with an investment worth £2.5million announced the following year with the intention to upgrade facilities all around the course. Now, it boasts all the amenities you would expect from a modern-day racecourse: fine dining restaurants, banquet halls, suites and a fine paddock with top training facilities – not to forget first-class entertainment and betting areas.