With horse racing whetting the appetite of most fans of sport throughout the UK and Ireland, it makes a lot of sense to see the action for yourself. Locals to Cheltenham and Ascot are gifted with the notable courses mere walking distance from their homes, but residents of Warrington need to pick and choose where they’d be best visiting in order to get the most from a day’s racing action. The challenge then is working out which racecourse is best for the time of year, distance you would need to travel, and more specialised matters over what each venue has to offer.
The closest racecourses to Warrington are situated in Haydock, Chester and Liverpool, each with their own reasons to visit and features which make them unique in their own special way. Horse racing entertains thousands of fans every year and it’s the focus of most of the country’s determined bettors, so here’s where you should focus your attention if you want to see a piece of the action:
Haydock Park Racecourse – 8.6 miles from Warrington
Originally opened in 1899, Haydock Racecourse is best known for hosting The Grand National Trial, The Temple Stakes, The Betfair Chase, The Sprint Cup, The Old Newton Cup and The Lancashire Oaks.
Races take place all through the year at Haydock, starting in January and resulting with a seldom race meeting in December, amounting to a minimum of twenty-six races that are highly regarded in the sport. There’s a mix of jump and flat races at Haydock Racecourse, with there always being another reason to visit regardless of the month that you’re planning on making the nearly nine-mile trip.
If you’re looking to spend a day at the races in a racecourse that isn’t far from Warrington Town Centre, Haydock would be the best option, accessible by car over a mere twenty-minute journey, and also available for visits on public transport if you take a train from Warrington Bank Quay to Earlestown, changing to a bus from Earlestown Bus Station to Haydock Park. You’re able to pick up tickets for most of the race days at Haydock for upwards of £10 each.
Chester Racecourse – 23.1 miles from Warrington
Historically considered as England’s oldest active racecourse, Chester Racecourse dates back to the 16th century. Despite being as old as it is, Chester Racecourse is also the smallest of its stature in England, only spanning one mile and one furlong.
The racing activity at Chester Racecourse is carried out between May and September, with a handful of festivals happening in June and September before the racing season concludes at the end of September. The peak time for visiting Chester Races is around May, where races such as The Chester Cup, The Cheshire Oaks, The Huxley Stakes, The Chester Vase, The Ormonde Stakes and The Dee Stakes are played out.
Although Chester Racecourse is further from Warrington than Haydock, it’s arguably even easier to navigate, with a straight forty-minute motorway run between Warrington and Chester on the M56. You can also get to it just as easy by train over a fifty-minute journey between Warrington Bank Quay and Chester Railway Station. Tickets are available for most race days at Chester from between £10 and £15 per person.
Aintree Racecourse – 23.5 miles from Warrington
First opened in 1829, Aintree Racecourse is acknowledged by many as possessing the UK’s biggest and most popular horse racing event. It was previously used exclusively for flat racing before the introduction of a steeplechase in 1836.
Kicking off at the start of April, Chester Racecourse holds race meetings all the way until the Randox Health Becher Chase Day towards the start of December. That being said, the key feature at Aintree Racecourse is The Grand National, which is regularly held at the start of April to commence racing at Aintree for the rest of the year.
If you’ve already ventured from Warrington to spend a day at Chester Racecourse, you’ll not find it much more difficult to get to Aintree Racecourse, with only an extra 0.4 miles to travel than you would to get to Chester Racecourse. Through travelling on the M62 and the M57, you’ll only spend around thirty-five minutes in the car, or you can spend around an hour and twenty minutes on a train from Warrington Central to Aintree Station, changing at Liverpool Lime Street. Tickets to attend Aintree Races range upwards from £17, with tickets for The Grand National usually starting at £30.
