The UK has a number of all-weather racecourses, which allows racing to take place throughout the year, sometimes in tough racing conditions such as the wind, the rain and even the snow.
All-weather horse racing, therefore, gives racegoers the chance to attend racecourses in most weather conditions.
Our all-weather racecourses guide explains all the leading racecourses with all-weather surfaces in the UK, reviewing each of them, looking at travel info, fixtures and more.
Check out all the latest tips for all-weather racing today.
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Contents
What is an All-Weather Racecourse?
An all-weather racecourse is a race track with an artificial surface designed to be used all year round.
These all-weather surfaces for racecourses are becoming more and more popular, as they require less upkeep than traditional surfaces whilst offering the benefit of year-round racing.
All-weather racing is growing in the UK in terms of racecourses and also the standard of racing.
All Weather Racecourses List
Here is the full list of all-weather racecourses in the UK:
- Lingfield Racecourse
- Kempton Park Racecourse
- Wolverhampton Racecourse
- Southwell Racecourse
- Chelmsford City Racecourse
- Newcastle Racecourse
- Dundalk Racecourse
Lingfield Racecourse
Lingfield Park is known for being the first all-weather track in the United Kingdom.
The picturesque racecourse also hosts both flat turf and national hunt meetings, making it one of the busiest racecourses in Europe.
Check out our in-depth guide to Lingfield Racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
The surface at Lingfield horse racing track is Polytrack, which has almost no kickback and the surface regains its shape relatively soon after it has been run on.
Lingfield is the most undulating of all the all-weather courses, with a left-handed triangular track which is approximately 1m 2f around.
Southwell Racecourse
Southwell horse racing venue is the only one in the UK with a fibresand all-weather track.
The fibresand surface is like a sand dune, where the more moisture the fibresand absorbs, the faster it will ride.
This unique racing venue is therefore one that race-goers get excited about each year, as its unique conditions always make for an interesting watch.
Southwell also hosts jumps racing in the winter months.
Check out our guide to Southwell Racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
Kempton Park
Kempton Park is a polytrack all-weather course and is the only right-handed all-weather track in the UK.
This venue offers great entertainment both on and off the track, was Kempton Park is also a licensed entertainment venue when horse racing isn’t taking place.
Kempton also host top quality jumps racing including the King George on Boxing day.
Check out our guide to Kempton Park racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
Wolverhampton Course
Wolverhampton is a racecourse with a Tapeta all-weather surface, differing to that of a polytrack.
Tapeta surfacing is fresher and more organically produced, consisting of silica sand, waxes and fibres that create a great horse racing surface.
Wolverhampton horse racing venue was the first of the all-weather tracks to install floodlights, allowing their popular Saturday evening race meetings.
Check out our in-depth guide to Woverhampton racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
Chelmsford City Racecourse
This is another excellent racecourse with an Polytrack all-weather surface being used.
Chelmsford City is similar to Wolverhampton’s configuration, though Chelmsford Racecourse has a considerably longer home straight.
This racing venue, previously known as Great Leighs Racecourse, first opened in 2008 and is home to thoroughbred racing all year round.
Check out our in-depth guide to Chelmsford City racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
Newcastle Racecourse
Newcastle horse racing venue is the newest all-weather track, making the most of a state-of-the-art Tapeta surface that was officially opened in 2016.
This racecourse boasts the only straight mile on an artificial surface in the world, and cost around £12 million in total to convert.
This racing facility has everything you need for a fun day out at the races.
Newcastle also hosts high-quality jumps racing in the winter months. Including the Fighting Fifth hurdle.
Check out our in-depth guide to Newcastle racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
Dundalk Racecourse
Dundalk racecourse also offers an all-weather track to go next to their greyhound track, and like many other all-weather tracks, makes the most of polytrack surfacing with frequent racing in the winter months.
This particular track is seen by many as one of the best all-weather tracks throughout Europe, with many Group 1 winners enjoying races here over the years, mainly trained by Adian O’Brien.
Check out our in-depth guide to Dandalk Racecourse for more information on tickets, fixtures and betting opportunities.
Popular Questions
Is Horse Racing Popular for Evening Races?
Horse racing in the evening is growing in popularity with some amazing floodlit horse racing venues.
The British Horseracing Authority has created additional floodlit horse racing fixtures due to the popularity of evening race meetings.
How many horse racecourses are there under floodlights?
There are seven racecourses under floodlights.
The 7 floodlit racecourse names include:
- Kempton Park Race course
- Wolverhampton Race course
- Lingfield Park Racecourse
- Southwell Racecourse
- Dundalk Race course
- Chelmsford City Race course
- Newcastle Race course
What Are The Benefits Of Racing On An All Weather Track?
There are several benefits to racing on an all weather track, including:
- Able to race during the winter months
- Easy to maintain
- Flat surfaces, often makes for a fairer race
What is an all weather horse racing track made of?
All-weather horse racing tracks tend to be made from a material called Polytrack.
Many trainers believe Polytrack is the fairest surface for horses to race on, as the racetrack has little kickback.
Another option many a jockey and trainer approve is fibre sand; however, horsemen tend to favour Polytrack for all-weather courses.
What is a length in all weather track horse racing?
All weather tracks tend to have the same furlong measurement as a standardbred course, around six to eight furlongs.
A furlong is around 200 metres, so a standard track tends to be about one and a half miles.
Horses will gallop from the gate to the post to secure their victory.
Final Thoughts on All Weather Racecourses UK
We hope you found everything you needed to know about all of the racecourses with all-weather tracks in the UK and Ireland.
These racecourses are becoming more and more popular throughout the country, so having an understanding of which locations have these surface types is good to know.
As always, for anything else horse racing-related, be sure to take a look at the other pages on our site to learn more.
We hope you enjoyed reading through our guide of all the all-weather horse racing tracks throughout the country. If you are a horse racing fan who likes attending the racecourse venues check out our guides to all UK horse racecourses or all Irish horse racecourses.
Here are all articles related to the all-weather racing:
- All Weather Championships 2024
- All Weather Racecourses
- All Weather Racing Tips
- Chelmsford City Racecourse Guide
- Dundalk Stadium
- Golden Rose Stakes
- Kempton Park Racecourse Guide
- Lingfield Racecourse Guide
- Newcastle Racecourse Guide
- Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes
- Southwell Racecourse Guide
- Winter Derby
- Wolverhampton Racecourse Guide
Searches Associated With All Weather Racecourses
- Racecourses on the all weather surface
- All Weather horse racing tracks
- Horse racing venues on all weather surfacing
- Afternoon floodlit all weather horse racing
- Evening floodlit all weather horse racing tracks
- All weather horse racing tracks UK
- All-weather surfaces for horses
- Polytrack horse racing surface
- All-weather track surface
- Tapeta tracks UK
- All weather track horse racing
