Nottingham Racecourse

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Welcome to our official guide to Nottingham Racecourse.

We explore this great flat racing racecourse in detail, looking at its history, a guide to the track, the best local hotel picks, the fixtures, travel information, and betting guides.

If you are looking for the latest betting tips for Nottingham, check out our full guide to Nottingham Racecourse tips.

Find out more about Nottingham Racecourse now:

Nottingham Racecourse

Overview of Nottingham Racecourse

Nottingham is actually home to two courses, one sat inside the other. Just 3km from Nottingham, the course hosts flat racing (although previously had National Hunt facilities too).

Both of the courses at Nottingham measure about one and a half miles and are left-handed. The inner track measures about five furlongs straight and is used throughout autumn and spring.

The outer is used mainly in the summer, and measures about six and a half furlongs. Both have relatively gentle turns but with sharp finishes. They’re both ideal for balanced horses.

Nottingham’s reputation punches above its weight in terms of its event schedule and facilities. Despite only hosting two major race meetings a year and not being the biggest or most striking in terms of facilities, architecture or technology, it has a lengthy history and is favoured amongst jockeys and trainers.

Nottingham is considered a refined venue amongst those “in the know” and continues to attract the highest quality of horse even despite being little known outside of the industry.

Nottingham is also home to popular business and conferencing facilities and is well-known for such facilities across the county.

The usual hospitality and private box facilities are available as you’d expect at any British racecourse, but Nottingham is also a popular wedding venue and gets booked up fairly far in advance.

The grandstand’s Sherwood Restaurant is ranked amongst the best in the country for trackside catering and is open on race days and during other big events.

Nottingham Racecourse History

Racing is documented in Nottingham as far back as 1773, when it took place at nearby Nottingham Forest Recreation Ground and was awarded a Royal Plate by the then Monarch.

In 1892, Nottingham Racecourse opened at its current site in Colwick Park.

It was run independently until 1965 when it was bought by local authorities for £500,000. The Horseracing Betting Levy Board stepped in when the course’s future looked to be in doubt, and it was then leased to the Racecourse Holdings Trust (now Jockey Club Racecourses).

Nottingham was home to both flat and jump racing until the 90s, when management scrapped the latter to focus on just the former. This did see lots of events lost from the course and it gained popularity.

In April 2013, Nottingham made headlines when there was a triple dead-heat in a race – only the second time such an occasion had happened in a decade! Thorpe Bay, My Time and Majestic Manannan all placed fourth in the Lodge Farm Stud Chris and May Mullin Handicap, which was raced over five furlongs.

Main Races and Events at The Racecourse

Two early-season listed races take place at Nottingham, which are what continues to cement the venue’s place as a notable British course.

The Further Flight Stakes run over one mile six furlongs in April, and the Nottinghamshire Oaks Stakes is run over 1 mile 2 furlongs in April.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most successful horse at the former is Further Flight, after whom the race was named (it was originally called the Michelozzo Stakes, after the St Leger winner who made his debut at Nottingham!).

Nottingham Racecourse Tickets

Nottingham racecourse tickets are always very popular for all of their meetings. You’ll find great offers, deals and early birds to all of their events throughout the year and we always recommend booking in advance so you get to enjoy the day out and can plan ahead.

As racing at Nottingham is so popular the events can sell out, so it is best to book early and in advance to avoid disappointment.

If you are looking for the best deals on Nottingham Racecourse Tickets follow the official link here.

Nottingham Racecourse Map

Below is a map of Nottingham Racecourse:

Nottingham Racecourse Map
Courtesy of At The Races

Nottingham is a flat left-handed course with a home straight of four furlongs.

There is also a straight course where races up to 6 furlongs races are held.

The final turn is quite a sharp bend, however, the generous straight means that a galloping horse has plenty of time to recover.

In respect of that Nottingham is considered to be a very fair racecourse.

Nottingham Draw Bias

Below are the perceived draw advantages at the Nottingham:

5 Furlongs Draw Bias

The 5f Nottingham course – a straight  5 – shows a draw bias for high numbers.

6 Furlongs Draw Bias

The 6f Nottingham draw bias prefers mid to high numbers, again it is running on the straight course.

Similarly to the 5f distance, the stand side rail is favoured by jockeys so for this reason the high stall numbers have an advantage.

One Mile Draw Bias

The one mile Nottingham Draw Bias prefers low numbers.

The one-mile track is run on the round course around one turn.  For this reason, having the turn means low numbers is on the inside so gives an advantage.

Nottingham Racecourse Address

The official Nottingham Racecourse address is:

Nottingham Racecourse
Colwick Park
Nottingham
NG2 4BE

How To Get To Nottingham Racecourse

The ways to get to Nottingham Racecourse are:

  • Car  – the course is easily accessible by road and all parking is free. It’s well signposted from all directions and those travelling by car just need to follow directions to Nottingham before signage for the course specifically. Details for your sat nav are Colwick Park, NG2 4BE.
  • Foot/Bus – the racecourse is within walking distance from the city centre but can also be reached by bus.
  • Train – the nearest train station, Nottingham Station, is just two miles from the course with a fully functioning taxi rank straight outside.
  • Air – those travelling by air can travel into either East Midlands or Nottingham City Airports.

Nottingham Betting Odds

The current Nottingham betting odds are:

[justodds event=”nottingham” group=”true”]

Nottingham Races 2024

Here is the horse racing calendar for Nottingham Races in 2024:

DateRacecourseWeekday
3/4/2024NottinghamWednesday
20/4/2024NottinghamSaturday
30/4/2024NottinghamTuesday
10/5/2024NottinghamFriday
11/5/2024NottinghamSaturday
21/5/2024NottinghamTuesday
2/6/2024NottinghamSunday
5/6/2024NottinghamWednesday
13/6/2024NottinghamThursday
19/6/2024NottinghamWednesday
27/6/2024NottinghamThursday
6/7/2024NottinghamSaturday
16/7/2024NottinghamTuesday
19/7/2024NottinghamFriday
1/8/2024NottinghamThursday
13/8/2024NottinghamTuesday
20/8/2024NottinghamTuesday
2/10/2024NottinghamWednesday
9/10/2024NottinghamWednesday
16/10/2024NottinghamWednesday
24/10/2024NottinghamThursday
30/10/2024NottinghamWednesday
6/11/2024NottinghamWednesday

Check out our guide for the full list of UK horse racing calendar fixtures for 2024.

Nottingham Racecard

The racecards for Nottingham races will be released the day before the races are set to happen. You can view full racecards in advance, check out  – horse racing tomorrow and horse racing today. In these, you will get an advance look at all the runners, trainers, form and riders.

You can also of course purchase a racecard from the track which carries much of the same useful information. Many like to keep these as souvenirs, especially from major UK horse races.

Hotels Near Nottingham Racecourse

There are lots of hotels in Nottingham city centre and most are within walking distance from the course.

Colwick Hall Hotel, a historical home and spa hotel, is the closest, but rooms come at a premium and it is not the place for a flying visit or informal stay.

More mid-range and budget-friendly hotels can be found in Nottingham centre, and include the River Rooms (a live music venue with contemporary hotel rooms and self-check-in), the Jury’s Inn Nottingham (a chain hotel with all the usual facilities you’d expect, as well as free Wi-Fi), the Hilton Nottingham (notable for its swimming pool and fitness centre) and the Lace Market Hotel (a boutique hotel with the on-site pub!).

Betting Shops Local to Nottingham

Nottingham has all of the usual facilities for betting on-site – a Tote kiosk, a traditional betting shop and independent bookmakers down by the track.

As the course is so close to the city centre, you’ll find strong mobile signal for easy online betting through a mobile device, too.

In Nottingham itself, you can find branches of Ladbrokes, BetFred, Coral and William Hill, all easily situated in the centre for whenever you fancy a flutter.

Most residential areas and suburbs also have a betting shop (or two), so if you find yourself in a more traditional B&B or guesthouse, you’ll likely still access to place a bet if you want to.

Best Nottingham Online Betting Sites

At British Racecourses, we often recommend betting online and via apps. This is because you can often get the best odds, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely without having to queue.

If you are looking to bet online we recommend the following great deals shown on this page from some great betting sites.

For more information or to compare betting sites, so you can pick the best betting site for you read our top independent reviews.

Other Events Held at Nottingham

Nottingham course hosts non-horseracing events, as well as race meets throughout the year.

Antiques and vintage fairs take place periodically and are well attended by collectors.

Perhaps its most famous non-racing event is the annual Fireworks Display, which attracts lots of Nottingham locals for an evening of seasonal festivities.

The biggest car boot sale in the area takes place every Sunday on-site and is also very popular with the local community.

Popular Questions

✅What is the address of Nottingham Racecourse?

The official Nottingham racecourse address is:

Nottingham Racecourse
Colwick Park
Nottingham
NG2 4BE

✅How do you get to Nottingham Races?

  • Car  – it is easily accessible by road and all parking is free. It’s well signposted from all directions and those travelling by car just need to follow directions to Nottingham before signage for the course specifically. Details for your sat nav are;  Nottingham Racecourse, Colwick Park, NG2 4BE.
  • Foot/Bus – the racecourse is within walking distance from the city centre but can also be reached by bus.
  • Train – the nearest train station, Nottingham Station, is just two miles from the course with a fully functioning taxi rank straight outside.
  • Air – those travelling by air can travel into either East Midlands or Nottingham City Airports.

Summary of Nottingham Racecourse

Nottingham is a fantastic racecourse.

It is known for high-quality racing and is a fair track which is one of the main reasons it is so popular with the top trainers.

It’s not as grand or as spectacular as some higher profile courses, however, great food, customer service and competitive racing make it one of our favourite tracks.

A great venue and well worth a visit.

Other Racecourses in the UK & Ireland

Our team as of March 2024 have reviewed the other following racecourses, all of them definitely worth a visit: