Horse Racing - Flat Courses

Below is a list of all the flat turf courses in the UK summarising the varying characteristics of each.

Direction - refers to the direction the horses turn when they go round a bend.

Stiff - A stiff track requires a lot of stamina, such as one with a long home straight or an uphill finish.

Speed - Tight or Galloping

Tight

On a tight track there are no long straights where the horses can build up speed. During a race the horses are constantly racing around a turn or approaching one. Races run at these courses are generally run at a slower pace. These tracks suit smaller more agile horses who are able to pick up speed quickly.

Galloping

These are tracks which have long straight stretches which allow horses to build up speed gradually. This type of track suits the big long striding horse.

Surface - Flat or Undulating - this refers to the surface of the track.

Gradient - Uphill or Downhill - this refers to significant stretches of the track.

TV - Sky Sports Racing (Sky) or RacingTV - refers to which TV channel the course's races are shown on.

Click on the course name for a fuller description including,

- Detailed characteristics of the course.
- Betting strategies for the course.
- Details of any particular running styles that are favoured on the course.