2024 Ultimate Guide to the UK's Best Racecourses

Updated: 201 Horse Racing

Our 2024 guide to the UK's top racecourses. Ascot leads with a score of 9.21, find out why!

2024 Ultimate Guide to the UK's Best Racecourses
Steve Madgwick Editor-In-Chief

Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player

Welcome to our comprehensive 2024 guide to the UK's finest racecourses. From the prestigious Ascot to the historical Cheltenham, we've scrutinized prices, social media influence, reviews, and much more to offer you insider tips for an unforgettable day at the races. 

Discover the Best UK Racecourses for 2024: Your Ultimate Guide to a Glamorous Day at the Races!

🏇🎩 Planning a day at the races in 2024? Dive into our ultimate UK racecourse guide! From Ascot's charm to Cheltenham's allure, find the perfect spot for unforgettable moments. Prices, reviews & more covered. 🥇👗

Horse Racing is one of the most popular spectator sports in the UK, with approximately six million people attending these events yearly. The races are thrilling to watch and can make a great day out with family and friends. However, with more than 1,000 race days spread across 60 different racecourses, deciding which racecourse to attend can be challenging. 

That’s why we wanted to rank each racecourse in the UK. We’ve looked at prices, social media presence, reviews, and more to reveal the best racecourse trips in the UK.

Ascot is the best racecourse in the UK, with a score of 9.21 out of 10

We’ve looked at social media, reviews, race days, and prices to reveal the best racecourses for you and your friends to visit in the UK. 

Rank Racecourse Racecourse Score Google Review Score Tripadvisor Review Score Number of Racedays Instagram Followers Instagram "Races" Hashtags TikTok Followers TikTok Likes TikTok Posts Twitter Followers Buzzsumo % "Love" Reactions UK Search Volume Adult Single Ticket Price (From / Cheapest area)
1 Ascot 9.21 4.6 4.5 26 142,000 51,941 43,300 401,600 790 134,800 52 717,100 49
2 Cheltenham 7.88 4.5 4.5 16 100,000 93,825 n/a n/a 2,921 164,200 36 623,900 57
3 Newbury 7.29 4.4 4 31 28,900 15,519 1,888 24,000 280 56,600 78 355,300 25
4 Goodwood 7.14 4.5 4 19 37,400 17,166 1,773 17,300 267 47,800 69 186,100 21
5 Beverley 6.99 4.5 4.5 19 4,253 5,874 1,117 7,582 168 20,600 67 158,100 10
6 York 6.85 4.5 4 17 19,800 68,322 1,112 7,418 1,141 65,300 53 543,400 15
7 Chester 6.76 4.4 4 15 23,300 67,389 1,900 79,000 650 59,200 63 469,200 10
8 Doncaster 6.67 4.4 4 36 14,900 19,763 n/a n/a 263 55,200 39 229,200 30
9 Musselburgh 6.24 4.5 4.5 25 11,600 6,034 839 331 34 32,900 45 127,200 55
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1. Ascot - 9.21 racecourse score

Taking the top spot is Ascot Racecourse, with a score of 9.21 out of 10. Ascot is one of the most famous racecourses in the UK, with more followers on Instagram and TikTok than any other racecourse. It’s reviewed well and has plenty of race days throughout the year to enjoy. However, the only negative of Ascot is the price, as it is one of the most expensive racecourses to visit in the UK. 

2. Cheltenham - 7.88 racecourse score

In second place is Cheltenham, with a racecourse score of 7.88 out of 10. Cheltenham ranks highly across our social media categories, with more Instagram hashtags, TikTok posts, and TikTok likes than any other racecourse. Similarly to Ascot, going to Cheltenham comes at a price, a more expensive price than any other racecourse.

3.Newbury - 7.29 racecourse score

Our top three is completed by Newbury, with a racecourse score of 7.29 out of 10. Newbury’s social media presence is a massive part of the reason for this racecourse’s third-place ranking. It’s one of the most followed racecourses on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, and one of the most hashtagged on Instagram and TikTok. 

As of 2024, OLBG has been named a proud new partner of the Owner’s Club at Newbury Racecourse. OLBG Racing are thrilled to be affiliated with one of the UK’s best racecourses, as represented by our 2024 Day at the Races study.  

Wolverhampton Racecourse has the most racedays throughout the year, with 82 fixtures

Going to the races can be a great occasion with your friends and family. However, finding a day that suits you all can be difficult. That’s why we’ve revealed the racecourses with the most racedays across the year.

Rank Racecourse Number of Racedays Racecourse Score
28 Wolverhampton 82 4.52
13 Newcastle 79 5.74
12 Southwell 76 5.82
22 Kempton Park 70 4.98
31 Lingfield Park 67 4.35
34 Chelmsford City 41 4.12
14 Newmarket 37 5.69
8 Doncaster 36 6.67
3 Newbury 31 7.29
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1. Wolverhampton - 82 racedays 

Taking the top spot is Wolverhampton Racecourse, with 82 race days over the year. Wolverhampton’s all-weather course means racing fixtures can happen throughout the year. With 82 fixtures taking place at this venue throughout the year, this means there’s at least one meeting every week and, on average, one every four or five days.

2. Newcastle - 79 racedays

In second place is Newcastle Racecourse, with 79 racedays throughout the year. Newcastle’s total number of raceday meetings averages at about six per month. March 2024 has the most events, with 16 over the month and the least in July. 

3. Southwell - 76 racedays

Completing our top three is Southwell, with 76 racedays throughout the year. The best month for racing at this Nottinghamshire racecourse is March, with 12 events taking place. The autumn and winter months are also popular, with 10 events in November and nine in October and December. 

Cheltenham is the most Instagrammable racecourse, with almost 100,000 posts

Not all racecourses have a formal dress code. However, smart wear is more common than not, which can make for some great photos for your Instagram, especially when paired with a beautiful racecourse. That’s why we’ve looked at Instagram hashtags to reveal the most Instagrammable racecourses.

Rank Racecourse Instagram Followers Instagram "Races" Hashtags Racecourse Score
2 Cheltenham 100,000 93,825 7.88
6 York 19,800 68,322 6.85
7 Chester 23,300 67,389 6.76
1 Ascot 142,000 51,941 9.21
14 Newmarket 31,800 32,894 5.69
10 Aintree 32,100 29,353 6.11
8 Doncaster 14,900 19,763 6.67
4 Goodwood 37,400 17,166 7.14
3 Newbury 28,900 15,519 7.29
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1. Cheltenham - 93,825 Instagram hashtags

The most Instagrammable racecourse is Cheltenham with more than 90,000 Instagram hashtags. Traditionally, people attending the Cheltenham festival will wear smart clothes, despite the dress code easing in recent times. Cheltenham also accepts fancy dress as long as it’s not inappropriate or offensive. 

2. York - 68,322 Instagram hashtags

York takes second place, with almost 70,000 hashtags on Instagram. At York Racecourse, the only formal dress code is for those in the County Stand, requiring a jacket, collared shirt, and tie. However, this dress code is relaxed during the unlikely occurrence of a heatwave in the UK. 

3. Chester - 67,389 Instagram hashtags

Chester completes our top three with over 67,000 hashtags on Instagram. Similarly to York, Chester’s dress code only applies to those in the more premium racecourse areas. Chester Racecourse is the world’s oldest racecourse still in operation, and its historic look makes it so beautiful. The city walls at Watergate surround it, and you can get a terrific view of the racecourse whether there is an event on or not. 

How do rankings compare on X?

Below, we’ve also considered each racecourses popularity on the social media platform ‘X’, previously known as Twitter.

Cheltenham and Ascot lead the way, with more than twice as many followers as any other UK racecourse.

Pontefract has the cheapest available ticket, at Ā£6 for a single adult ticket

A day at the races can be expensive, especially with food, drink and travel costs included, so it helps to save money where you can. We’ve revealed the racecourses with the cheapest price for an adult single ticket. 

Rank Racecourse Adult Single Ticket Price (From / Cheapest area) Racecourse Score
52 Pontefract 6 2.36
32 Wetherby 6.5 4.33
26 Catterick 8 4.66
7 Chester 10 6.76
5 Beverley 10 6.99
49 Stratford-On-Avon 11.25 2.60
42 Bangor-on-Dee 11.75 3.48
50 Newton Abbot 12 2.52
43 Hexham 12 3.35
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1. Pontefract - £6 cheapest available ticket

In first place is Pontefract Racecourse, with the cheapest available ticket costing just £6. The most expensive ticket for this racecourse is the Premier Gold Park Suite concession, which costs £89 and includes entry to the Premier Enclosure, a racecard, and food. 

2. Wetherby - £6.50 cheapest available ticket

Wetherby takes second place, with the cheapest available ticket costing just £6.50. Wetherby’s cheapest ticket price is £6, which is enough to share the top spot with Pontefract, however, a booking fee of 50p is applied at check-out, making it slightly more expensive. This price is for entry to the course enclosure only. At Wetherby, there are also several hospitality packages available, ranging from around £60 to £162. 

3. Catterick - £8 cheapest available ticket

Our top three is completed by Catterick, with the cheapest available ticket costing just £8. The £8 price is for the course enclosure only and applies to those booking at least 48 hours in advance. Booking the same ticket on the day will cost £10. Catterick’s hospitality options range from £75 to £230, depending on the season and what’s included. 

Methodology

We used Instagram to find the number of hashtags for ‘[RACECOURSE] races’ and the number of followers for each official Instagram account. 

We used TikTok for the number of followers per official account, the number of likes the official account has received, and the number of posts for the hashtag ‘[RACECOURSE] races.’

We used X for the number of followers on X for each official account. 

We used Buzzsumo for the article sentiment, taking the percentage of ‘love reactions.’ 

We used Google Keyword Planner to find the number of searches between January 2023 and December 2023 for the term ‘[RACECOURSE] races.

We also used Google for the review score out of five for each racecourse. 

We used Tripadvisor for the review score out of five for each racecourse. 

The number of racedays at each racecourse was taken from the British Horseracing Authority.

We took the lowest ticket price for each racecourse using data from their own individual websites, taking the lowest ticket prices for each course’s ladies’ day event. If there was no ladies’ day listed, we used data for the racecourse’s major event.

We then used a weighted table to give each factor a normalised score out of 10. We then took an average of these scores to get our overall score out of 10.


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