Sandown Park Racecourse

Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racing during afternoons, evenings and on weekends, and also hosts many non racing events such as trade shows, wedding fairs, toy fairs, car shows and auctions, property shows, concerts, and even some private events. It was requisitioned by the War Department from 1940-1945 for World War II. The venue has hosted bands such as UB40, Madness, Girls Aloud, Spandau Ballet and Simply Red. The racecourse is close to Esher railway station served by trains from London Waterloo. There is a secondary exit from Esher station which is open on race days, this exit leads directly into the racecourse and Lower Green, Esher.[1]

This article is about the English racecourse. For the Australian racecourse, see Sandown Racecourse.
Sandown Park
LocationEsher, Surrey
Owned byJockey Club Racecourses
Date opened1875
Screened onRacing TV
Course typeFlat
National Hunt
Official website
The Winning Line
The Parade Ring

History

Sandown Park was one of the first courses to charge all for attending. It opened in 1875 and everyone had to pay at least half a crown. The first meeting was over three days, starting on Thursday 22 April, and included the Grand National Hunt Chase, now staged at the Cheltenham Festival. The Grand International Steeple Chase took place on the Saturday, worth £2,130 to the winner, and was the largest prize for a steeplechase that season, unusually even eclipsing that for the Liverpool Grand National.[2]

In 1875, Sandown became the first course in England to have a members' enclosure.[3]

Notable races
Month Meeting DOW Race Name Type Grade Distance Age/Sex
January Saturday Tolworth Novices' Hurdle Hurdle Grade 1 2m 4yo +
February Saturday Gainsborough Chase Chase Handicap 3m 110y 5yo +
February Saturday Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Chase Grade 1 2m 4f 110y 5yo +
February Saturday Heroes Handicap Hurdle Hurdle Grade 3 2m 6f 4yo +
February Saturday Contenders Hurdle Hurdle Conditions 2m 110y 4yo +
March Friday Grand Military Gold Cup Chase Conditions 3m 110y 6yo +
March Saturday Imperial Cup Hurdle Grade 3 2m 110y 4yo +
March Saturday EBF Novices' Hurdle Hurdle Grade 3 2m 4f 4yo-7yo
April Friday Sandown Mile Flat Group 2 1m 14y 4yo +
April Friday Sandown Classic Trial Flat Group 3 1m 2f 7y 3yo only
April Friday Gordon Richards Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 2f 7y 4yo +
April Saturday Bet365 Gold Cup Chase Grade 3 3m 5f 110y 5yo +
April Friday Esher Cup Flat Handicap 1m 14y 3yo
April Saturday Celebration Chase Chase Grade 1 2m 5yo +
May Thursday Henry II Stakes Flat Group 3 2m 78y 4yo +
May Thursday Brigadier Gerard Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 2f 7y 4yo +
May Thursday National Stakes Flat Listed 5f 6y 2yo
May Thursday Heron Stakes Flat Listed 1m 14y 3yo
May Thursday Whitsun Cup Flat Handicap 1m 14y 4yo+
July Saturday Eclipse Stakes Flat Group 1 1m 2f 7y 3yo +
July Saturday Sprint Stakes Flat Group 3 5f 6y 3yo +
August Saturday Atalanta Stakes Flat Group 3 1m 14y 3yo + f
August Saturday Solario Stakes Flat Group 3 7f 16y 2yo only
December Friday Winter Novices' Hurdle Hurdle Grade 2 2m 4f 4yo +
December Saturday Henry VIII Novices' Chase Chase Grade 1 2m 4yo +
December Saturday Tingle Creek Chase Chase Grade 1 2m 4yo +
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References
  1. "Modern map of Lower Green, Esher". Lower Green Esher. 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  2. Stevens, Peter, History of the National Hunt Chase 1860-2010, pp 53-55. ISBN 978-0-9567250-0-4
  3. Plumptre, George (1985). The Fast Set - The World of Edwardian Racing. London: Andre Deutsch. p. 11. ISBN 0233977546.

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