Plumpton Racecourse

Welcome to our guide to Plumpton Racecourse.

We explore this great jump racecourse looking at its history, hotel picks, fixtures, and betting guides.

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

Find out more about Plumpton Racecourse:

Overview of Plumpton Racecourse

A small but perfectly formed National Hunt racecourse, Plumpton is little-known but well-reputed and was awarded the Best Small Racecourse in the South 2018.

Plumpton is a 5,000-person capacity course that hosts 17 jump racing fixtures from September to May every year.

Known as a ‘hidden gem’ in the English horseracing scene, Plumpton is one of the smallest racecourses in the country but certainly no stranger to drama and competition!

Situated one kilometre north of the East Sussex village of Plumpton, and one kilometre south of Plumpton Green, Plumpton Racecourse sits opposite Plumpton Rugby FC and Plumpton railway station.

The track at Plumpton is left-handed, tight and undulating, which favours handy sorts well due to its sharp corners and measures just over a mile. The finish is slightly uphill and races tend to start in earnest before heating up just before the end. The course ranks high for casualties, but this tends to reflect more in the age of the horses raced there, usually novices, rather than the quality of the track itself. The fence at the top of the hill is particularly tricky and has caught out many a runner!

The hurdles course sits directly outside the chase course.

Plumpton is reputed as a ‘nursery course’, meaning it is where trainers bring their most promising novices to challenge and train them to pave the way in their career.

The course may be small and of low capacity, but the facilities are as competitive and modern as you’d expect to find at any racecourse in the country.

The hospitality suites and grandstand offer spectacular views across the course and caters for conferences, meetings and events.

Plumpton is also a popular wedding venue for unions of all sizes – with larger parties taking place in giant marquees in the centre of the track.

Whilst many racecourses offer wedding hosting, Plumpton is one of the most popular, seeing couples travel from all over the country to tie the knot in picturesque East Sussex surroundings!

Plumpton Racecourse History

Horse racing is documented at Plumpton as far back at 1884.

It was founded by Thomas Henry Case back in 1876, but used exclusively for hare coursing for the first eight years of its life.

As horse racing gained popularity across the country, Case extended the venue’s facilities for horses too. The first few years hosted very little horseracing (for a variety of reasons), but in 1889, the hare coursing ceased and it became exclusively a horse racecourse.

Plumpton had a chequered history of racing until 1961, when it was purchased by Isodore Kermin, who invested in the venue and upgraded and developed its facilities.

It was sold again in 1998 to Peter Savill and Adrian Pratt, who continued to invest in the course and ensure it was protected from property developers looking to purchase – and permanently close – the site.

In 2009, Plumpton hit industry headlines by being the place for Tony McCoy to ride his 3,000^th winner, on Restless D’Artaix, trained by Nicky Henderson.

Main Races and Events Held at The Course

The biggest race held at Plumpton is the Sussex National Handicap Chase, run over three miles and five furlongs every January. It is reputed to be a good indicator for late performance in the season, with several horses and jockey & trainer combos going on to win bigger races later on. One such example is 2007 winner Dunbrody Millar, who then won the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree later that season.

Other notable races include the December Novice’s Chase, run over two miles and one furlong.

Plumpton Racecourse Map

Below is a map of Plumpton Racecourse:

The course is left-handed, with tight turns and is undulating with a descent on the back-straight and a steep climb on the home straight.

Despite this stiff finish, it is still a track that favours handy sorts and those ridden more forward.

Races tend to really get going on the downhill run on the second circuit.

Particularly in deep ground tends to fan out to the stands side rail.

Plumpton Racecourse Address

The address of Plumpton Racecourse is:

Plumpton Racecourse
Plumpton
East Sussex
BN7 3AL

How To Get To Plumpton Racecourse

The ways to get to Plumpton Racecourse are:

• By car – Plumpton is easily accessible despite its somewhat rural location and is well signposted from the M23/A23 and A27.
• By rail – The railway station opposite is served by frequent trains from London Victoria to Lewes, making it an easy day trip for many – and it’s walkable from the station in about three minutes!
• Minibus – on race days, the course is served by a direct minibus service from Brighton. This is run by a private firm, Chariots Chaffeurs, and is popular, but must be booked in advance. A return ticket is £5 and can be arranged by contacting the firm directly.
• By Air – Gatwick is the closest airport.

Hotels near Plumpton

Most people travelling to Plumpton do so just for the day, but there are some hotel options for those looking to stay over.

The nearest accommodation is The Bull Inn in Ditchingham, but also nearby you’ll find The Blacksmith’s Arms, Premier Inn Burgess Hill and Horsted Place.

For all of the usual chain hotel options, Brighton offers pretty much all you can name – and there’s lots of independent accommodation and AirBNBs in the city, too.

Best Plumpton Betting Sites

If you want more info on the best new betting sites around, then check out our independent reviews. Our teams have compared the best horse racing betting sites around so you can find something that you love; all of them have a variety of betting payment options, horse racing live streaming, today’s racecards, tomorrow’s racecards and more!

Betting Shops Local to Plumpton

Plumpton has Tote kiosks, as well as two William Hill betting shops – one in the Lewes Stand and one in the Paddock Bar.

On-site independent bookies can be found outside the Grandstand.

There are no betting shops in Plumpton or Plumpton Green, but Brighton, Hove and the surrounding suburbs have almost every brand available: including, but by no means limited to; Paddy Power horse racing, Betfred, William Hill horse racing, Coral horse racing, Ladbrokes racing and Pure Profit.

Other Events Held at Plumpton

The non-racing pinnacle of Plumpton’s calendar really is the grand weddings held there.

The expert events team can cater for up to 5,000 people, so there’s a breadth of events and options on offer.

Whilst names won’t be divulged, it is known that several celebrities and other such big names have been married at Plumpton!

Plumpton Races 2024

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

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

Plumpton Racecard and Plumpton Tips

The racecards for Plumpton races (Plumpton race card) will be released the day before the races are set to happen (Plumpton races today). 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.

Summary of Plumpton Racecourse

A buzzing small course on the South Downs, Plumpton actually packs quite a punch and you can often spot a star of the future learning its job here.

A tight track, which can get heavy in winter, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster with a downhill back straight and stiff home run.

It’s no surprise that this independent course has won many awards over the years and it offers excellent value for money.

It is one of our favourite small tracks – it’s definitely worth a visit and is in a beautiful part of the world. Add it to your list!