Lingfield Park Racecourse (commonly referred to as Lingfield) is a horse racing course at Lingfield in Surrey, United Kingdom. It is owned by the ARC Racing and Leisure Group, formerly Arena Leisure Plc.
Lingfield is best known as a winter all-weather flat racing course; the track is Polytrack, rather than the usual turf found in the UK. There are only five other all-weather courses in the UK, the others being at Southwell, Kempton, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, and Chelmsford City (formerly Great Leighs Racecourse). Lingfield also stages National Hunt and flat races on turf.
Lingfield railway station adjoins the course, served by trains from London to East Grinstead via Oxted.
History
thumb|right|The stands
Lingfield Park racecourse is located in a estate and was opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who gave permission for the Prince of Wales' feathers to be incorporated into the course's official logo. The course initially held jumps racing only, but in 1894 the Jockey Club granted permission for flat racing to be held. Racing has been held continuously ever since, with the exception of the Second World War.
The War Office requisitioned the course during the Second World War and it was used as an internment camp, to detain civilians who were citizens of one of the Axis powers.
After the war, the racecourse returned to its pre-war owners, the Beckwith-Smith family. The racecourse was put up for sale by the family in 1974 at a price of £500,000. A few weeks later, it was sold to Ladbrokes. Ladbrokes sold the course in 1982 to Ron Muddle. The new owner installed flood defences on the estate to alleviate the flooding that had become a major problem in the years immediately after the war. A golf course was developed and this opened in June 1987.
Leisure Investments purchased the Lingfield Park from Muddle in 1988 and work to install an all-weather track on the inside of the turf course was completed in October 1989.
The racecourse is featured in the 1954 film The Rainbow Jacket.
Notable races
{| class = "sortable" | border="1" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:90%"
|- bgcolor="#77dd77" align="center"
! style="width:70px" |Month
! style="width:80px" |DOW
! Race Name
! style="width:60px" |Type
! style="width:70px" | Grade
! style="width:80px" |Distance
! style="width:60px" |Age/Sex
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Sunday
| Kachy Stakes
| style="text-align:center" |A W Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo +
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Sunday
| Tandridge Stakes
| style="text-align:center" |A W Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo +
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Hever Sprint Stakes
| style="text-align:center" |A W Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo +
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Winter Derby
| style="text-align:center" |A W Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo +
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Spring Cup
| style="text-align:center" |A W Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Chartwell Fillies' Stakes
| style="text-align:center" |Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo + f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Lingfield Oaks Trial
| style="text-align:center" |Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo only f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Lingfield Derby Trial
| style="text-align:center" |Flat
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo only c&g
|}
;Other races
- Fleur De Lys Fillies' Stakes
- Quebec Stakes
- River Eden Fillies' Stakes
- All Weather Championship Series
References
External links
- Official website
- Course guide on Geegeez
- Course guide on At The Races
- [http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Lingfield%20Racecourse%20History.html]