Welcome to our official guide to Wolverhampton Racecourse. In this section we explore this busy and popular all-weather flat racecourse in detail, looking at its history, hotel picks, fixtures, travel information and even the weather!
Wolverhampton racecourse is the busiest course in Britain – hosting over 80 race days a year and other assorted events, too! The racecourse, on-site hotel, restaurants, bars and conference and exhibition centre make this one of the region’s most important events venues. Wolverhampton Racecourse (Dunstall park) is situated about a mile north of the city centre, and this proximity to local facilities, amenities and transport links makes it easily attended by many.
Wolverhampton’s claim-to-fame is that it was the first racecourse in the country to have a floodlit track.
Evening meets remain popular today and once you’ve been to one, you’ll understand why – it’s easy to feel the magic of the sport under dazzling lights through dusk! Many evening races are followed by live music performances, further cementing the course as one of the West Midlands’ favourite venues.
Wolverhampton racecourse has a Tapeta surface; an American synthetic material made of sand, fibre, rubber and wax. The only other racecourse in the UK to have this surface is Newcastle – all others are based in the US! Indeed, Wolverhampton racecourse has much more in common with American racecourses than British ones: it is one mile in circumference with left-hand turns in an extremely tight oval course.
Wolverhampton racecourse has been extensively redeveloped over the years and this work is set to continue. Future plans put to Wolverhampton City Council include seeking planning permission to extend the on-site hotel to almost quadruple its current capacity, to tarmac new car park areas and to open a casino, which would be the UK’s first racino (another very Americanised introduction!). Alongside a busy exhibition centre and spaces for weddings and private occasions, Wolverhampton Racecourse has truly become one of the most important prestigious venues in the local area for the community there.
The Racecourse History
Horseracing can be traced back in Wolverhampton as far as 1825, and on its current site (Dunstall Park) from August 1888. National Hunt racing was actually the most popular form of the sport to be held at Wolverhampton racecourse, but ceased when an all-weather surface was installed in place of its existing sand. Much of Wolverhampton Racecourse’s redevelopment has been fairly recent.
In 1993, the course had its floodlights installed and was re-opened as Britain’s first floodlit track by HRH Queen Elizabeth II the next year.
In 2001, fibresand was installed as a new track surface, but this only lasted three years before being replaced by Polytrack. This replacement proved to be controversial, and after several incidences on the track, was investigated into. Although it was ruled to be safe, the Polytrack was in 2014 replaced with Tapeta; at the time, as the first UK track to be.
Today, Wolverhampton Racecourse is owned and operated by the Arena Racing Company, who continue to develop and invest into the site and its facilities. As the largest racecourse managing group in the UK, they know a thing or two about successful venues and will no doubt continue to nurture and develop the sport. Check out our Wolverhampton Racecourse Guide review video:
The Main Races and Events Held at Wolverhampton Racecourse
Given Wolverhampton Racecourse’s jam-packed racing calendar, there’s plenty of events to choose from, but the ‘main’ ones here are simply the most attended. The All-Weather Championships has been run here for over twenty years and is designed for trainers to keep their horses active over the winter months. Six competitive categories sees a wide variety of horses hit the track, so there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy.
Wolverhampton Racecourse’s Boxing Day Racing is a fixture in many family festivities and often attracts the largest crowds in the UK on the 26th December. All usual hospitality options are available but with a seasonal twist, so this is a popular treat for those looking to do something a little different with their holiday break.
Wolverhampton Racecourse Map and Info
The course is a flat, left-handed circuit of just under a mile in length. The bends are fairly sharp and tight, with a relatively short home straight of under two furlongs. This means that it tends to favour speedy horses who can hold a position close to the pace, as opposed to those who need time to find a full stride.
Wolverhampton Racecourse Address
The official address for the track is:
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Dunstall Park
Wolverhampton
West Midlands
WV6 0PE
How To Get To Wolverhampton Racecourse
By foot – Wolverhampton Racecourse is walking distance from Wolverhampton city centre but is off a dual carriageway, so it’s easiest to reach by road.
By car – there are over 1500 free car parking spaces on the site and frequent buses and coaches service the course. The official info for your sat nav is Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton, WV6 0PE.
By trains – trains run regularly to Wolverhampton from Birmingham, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester.
By Air – for air travel, Birmingham International Airport is some 25 miles away and the on-course helipad is available for arranged landings.
Hotels Near Wolverhampton Racecourse
There’s no need to walk the mile to Wolverhampton city centre to stay the night – Wolverhampton Racecourse has its own hotel on-site! The Holiday Inn Express Wolverhampton Racecourse offers a variety of room packages and some even include hospitality options on racedays at the course. There’s only 52 rooms on-site at the moment, but this is set to be expanded to 170 in the next few years. Should the Holiday Inn Express Wolverhampton Racecourse be fully booked, you’ll find branches of Premier Inn, Novotel, Ramada Jarvis, Travelodge, Best Western and Mercure all in the city centre.
Betting Shops Local to Wolverhampton Racecourse
Betting shops can be found in all enclosures at Wolverhampton Racecourse, and there’s Tote facilities alongside independent bookmakers who can be found by the side of the rails and track. As this isn’t a countryside racecourse, you’ll find mobile signal to be strong, so online betting is also an option should you fancy a flutter but forget your wallet. In Wolverhampton city centre, there’s not hundreds of options of betting shops, but branches of Betfred, Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddypower can all be found locally.
What Are The Best Wolverhampton 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:
New Customers Only. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Full T&C's Apply
New UK & NI customers only. 18+. Sign up using promo code ‘SPORTS60’. Deposit & place first sports bet at a minimum of £10 in one bet transaction at evens (2.0) +. £30 paid in free bets within 48 hours of bet settlement, expires 7-days after issue. Doesn’t apply to customers who place their first bet on the Virtual Grand National. E-Wallet & Prepaid Card restrictions apply. Your first bet must be settled within 60 days of bet placement. SMS validation may be required. Game restrictions apply. Maximum 30 Free Spins on selected games. Free Spins expire after 7 days. Full T&Cs apply. Full T&C's Apply
18+ New UK+IRE customers. PayPal and certain deposit and bet types excluded. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. Full T&C's Apply
18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. Full T&C's Apply
New William Hill online customers only. Min. unit stake of £10/€10 at odds of 1/2 or greater. Only the “win” part from EW bets will count. Free bet terms, payment method & country restrictions apply. Free bets credited as 3 x £10/€10. Free bet stakes are not returned as part of the settlement of successful free bets. All Free Bets must be wagered within 30 days. Full T&C's Apply
New customers only. 18+, BeGambleAware.org. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus. Wagering requirements: Sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), Casino 25x. Only one bonus can be used at a time, Sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the Casino, unless the bonus has been forfeited. Bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in. Full T&C's Apply
Wolverhampton Racecourse has a licence to perform civil weddings and is a really popular venue to do so at, as well as funerals, wakes, birthdays and big celebrations. The conferencing centre is booked almost year-round for business exhibitions and meetings, and the course itself is frequently used for live music and tribute acts.
Summary of Wolverhampton Racecourse
Wolverhampton is a popular racecourse and the busiest in the UK. That doesn’t detract from it being a special night out and it’s popular with locals and those on a fun-night out. The AW Championship are very popular and certainly worth a visit. Close to the lively town city, it’s a racecourse we hold dear, and an important track for racing in the UK. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Other Racecourses Reviewed by Our Teams
Our team as of October 2020 have reviewed these racecourse that are also definitely worth a visit:
When attending Wolverhampton racecourse you are advised to dress as smart casual. You aren’t allowed to wear ripped jeans, trainers or sportswear when going into the restaurant or hospitality areas.
✅ What is the best draw at Wolverhampton? 🏇
It changes depending on the distance. Over 5f and 6f low, draws have had the advantage. Over 7f or further, there is no draw bias.
✅ How long is Wolverhampton Racecourse? 🏇
It is one mile around, with left-hand turns – it is known as quite at tight track and has a Tapeta surface.
✅ What channel is Wolverhampton race? 🏇
You can watch the Wolverhampton on At The Races, which is Sky channel 415, Virgin channel 534, and UPC in Ireland/channel 418.
