Wincanton
Date of Review: 6th March 2025
RCA Reviewers: Dave, Ray & Dave
Address: Wincanton Racecourse, Wincanton, BA9 8BJ.
Website: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/wincanton/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wincantonraces/
X: https://x.com/wincantonraces
Email: wincanton@thejockeyclub.co.uk
Phone: 01963 435 840
Accommodation: https://uk.hotels.com/de558358/hotels-wincanton-united-kingdom/
Track Layout: (Image acknowledged & credited to Timeform & At The Races)
Course Information: Wincanton Racecourse is a right-handed, National Hunt (jumps) only course that is rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of around one mile and three furlongs. The course is divided into two for the hurdle and steeplechase races. The bends are sharp, and it is fairly flat from the home turn to the winning post. This means that the course is very fast and is generally considered as such. The fences are testing, and three are required to be taken in quick succession in the home straight, which means that many races are won or lost there. Due to these characteristics, the course suits horses who like to race prominently. The opposite is true when the ground is testing, and it becomes more of a test of stamina and staying power.
The Racecourse Advisor Guide to Wincanton Racecourse:
The racecourse is situated close to the town centre of Wincanton in Somerset, in southwest England
Location Map – Wincanton Racecourse
The earliest record of horse racing in Wincanton dates back to 1870, when a meeting was held in a farmer's field in Hatherleigh, around a mile away from the town centre. It was then moved to another course nearby in 1891. It again relocated to its current venue in 1927. The racecourse was requisitioned as a military base during WWII, and an interesting fact is that Joe Louis, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, refereed military boxing matches at the racecourse in 1944.
In 1966, the Racecourse Holdings Trust (now the Jockey Club) purchased the racecourse and secured its future. They remain the owners of the course to this day. Significant investment has been made in the racecourse and its facilities. The stands were rebuilt in 1968, and in 1990, the Hatherleigh Stand was opened.
The racecourse now holds around seventeen National Hunt meetings a year during the jumps season, with its feature races being the Badger Ales Trophy and the Lord Stalbridge Memorial Handicap Chase on Boxing Day. In February, the Kingwell Hurdle is run, which is traditionally a trial for the Champion Hurdle race held at Cheltenham the following month.
Course Location & Access:
By Road: The racecourse is situated 37 miles south of Bristol and 38 miles north of Bournemouth, approximately one mile north of Wincanton town centre, on the B3081 between Wincanton and Bruton. The B3081 is just off the A303, the arterial route between London and the Southwest. The postcode to use in your Sat Nav is BA9 8BJ.
By Rail: The nearest train station to the racecourse is Templecombe, four miles away, on the Waterloo-Exeter line. The other nearest railway stations are Bruton, four miles away, and Castle Gary, eight miles away, both on the Paddington-Bristol line. A courtesy bus service is available on race days from Templecombe station to the racecourse and back.
By Air: The nearest airport to Wincanton Racecourse is Bristol (BRS), which is 28 miles away. Bournemouth (BOH), 31 miles. Exeter (EXT) is 56 miles. London Heathrow (LHR) is 90 miles away. Birmingham (BHX) is 136 miles away. There is a helicopter landing site in the centre of the course, and anyone travelling by helicopter must inform the Racecourse Office prior to the day to obtain a grid reference. The local airport is Henstridge, which is 7 miles south of the racecourse. Rating: 7/10.
Parking: There is ample free parking on a very large, grassed parking area. However, just a word of caution: a lot of rain falls in this part of the world, so in the winter months this parking area could get very wet indeed. If you're not in a 4WD vehicle, then you might have a few problems. It is then a short walk from the car park to the main entrance. Rating: 10/10.
Pricing: The day of our visit was the Thursday afternoon “GBIM Spring Raceday” meeting. It was a a seven-race card that consisted of one Class-3 race, four Class-4 races, and two Class-5 races, so low-level grade racing. The entry price on the day was £22.00. If booked online in advance, general admission tickets to the Grandstand Enclosure, which gives access to all ground floor areas of the racecourse, were available for £19.80 each. For groups of six people or more, they were £18.70, and for groups of fifteen people or more, tickets could be had for £17.60. Children aged seventeen and under, if accompanied by an adult, were free. There was also a “Pie & Pint Package” for £29.80. Disappointingly, there were no concessions for OAPs or students.
If you wished to upgrade, there was a “Premier Restaurant Experience” at a cost of £145.00 each. This got you a guaranteed table in the Chasers Restaurant, which has views of the racecourse and is situated on the winning post. An admission ticket, a three-course meal, and tea and coffee. In our opinion, the pricing is on the top side for relatively low-grade racing at a provincial track, and the £145.00 for hospitality is up there with other top courses such as Haydock, which is a far superior venue by whatever measure is used and, therefore, relatively expensive. Rating: 7/10.
Racecard: Yet again, we cannot recommend buying the racecard as it really doesn’t represent any sort of value. It was thin at 32 pages, of which 12 full pages were advertisements, which is 38%, but in truth, it actually felt like more, as there was absolutely nothing other than the list of runners and riders. In our opinion, it is a total waste of money at £3.50.
Viewing: Wincanton Racecourse has two main viewing areas: the smaller Premier Enclosure, situated just before the winning post, and the larger Badger Stand, positioned slightly further back up the home straight.
The Badger Stand (left) & the Premier Enclosure (centre) – Wincanton Racecourse
The Premier Enclosure has fourteen large concrete terraced steps, which lead up to a seating area at the back with five rows of white plastic seats along its full length. There is plenty of cover from the elements, and the overall viewing experience from this vantage point is very good. There is also a large mobile TV screen around half a furlong from the winning post.
The Premier Enclosure – Wincanton Racecourse
The Badger Stand is large in size and is standing only; there are no seats at all in this enclosure. Again, it has fourteen concrete terraced steps, and the cover is good. It is enclosed at one end, which is also a bonus. It is close to the final fence, and again, the overall viewing experience from here is good.
The Badger Stand – Wincanton Racecourse
The Final Flight – Wincanton Racecourse
Wincanton does have a third Course Enclosure, situated way up the home straight opposite the third-last fence. However, it is only open once a year on the Boxing Day Fixture.
The Course Enclosure – Wincanton Racecourse
In our opinion, the overall viewing at Wincanton Racecourse is very good. Rating: 8/10.
Parade Ring / Winners Enclosure: The Parade Ring is impressive. It is large and oval in shape, with a neat, well-trimmed hedge all the way around it. It is accessible for around 60% of its perimeter. The large raised, terraced viewing platforms at the back of it allow excellent viewing of the horses.
There is also a raised viewing platform for wheelchair users at the side of the ring. This area at the perimeter is roped off to ensure unhindered viewing, which we thought was a nice touch.
The Pre-Parade Ring – Wincanton Racecourse
The winner's enclosure is at the front of the parade ring, immediately in front of the raised viewing platforms, which ensures excellent viewing of the horses.
The pre-parade ring is situated just to the left of the jockeys' weighing room. While small in size, it is once again immaculately tended. It has a lawned central area and a hedge around its front. The saddling enclosures are at the rear. Rating: 8/10.
Bookmakers / Betting Facilities: The on-course bookmakers have a pitch on the concourse directly in front of the Badger Stand.
The Main Bookmakers Ring – Wincanton Racecourse
On the day of our visit, there were a dozen or so in attendance, which was more than ample. These, along with the William Hill concession and the numerous Tote concessions on the course, mean getting a bet on and picking up is not a problem. Rating: 10/10.
Catering: Here at Racecourse Advisor, we enjoy doing “racecourse reviews” rather than restaurant reviews. We do not pretend to be food critics. We aim to give you an overall idea of what culinary options and prices are available at the racecourse on race days.
There is a good selection of catering options at Wincanton. The first bar we found was the Badger Bar, which is located in the Badger Stand. It is a very large area that runs virtually the full length of the stand. It has a bar and food outlet all the way down one side with stand-up tables. It also has large William Hill and Tote concessions inside it. The food outlet down at the far end of the bar was knocking out the staples such as fish & chips and pork sausages and chips for £14.00 each. A selection of pies, sausage rolls, and baguettes for £5.00 each and a small selection of chocolate bars for £1.50. Two of our reviewers sampled the steak & ale pies with peas and gravy, and their verdict was “good”. Our other reviewer went for the more exotic sweet potato, red onion, spinach, and mature cheese pie, and the verdict on that one was “very good.” So no complaints about the pies.
The Badger Bar – Wincanton Racecourse
The other food on the racecourse is called Potters Corner, which is next to the Stalbridge bar in the Premier Stand
Potters Corner – Wincanton Racecourse
Here, they were selling a selection of Toasties such as Cheese for £5.00, Cheese & Onion for £5.50, Cheese & Ham for £7.50, and Cheese & Bacon for £8.00. They also had a special of a “Yorkshire Pudding Wrap,” which was a toasted Yorkshire pudding filled with pork, stuffing, apple sauce, and gravy for £10.00. They also sold a selection of teas and coffees ranging in price from £2.50 to £4.00
The Stalbridge Bar is a cosy little place, carpeted with tables and chairs and a small Tote Concession in the bottom corner. The bar was serving pints of Madri lager for £6.95. Carling Black Label was £6.95, and Sharps Atlantic Pale Ale along with Badger Pale for £6.40. Guinness was £6.95 a pint. House wines of red, white, and rose were £6.95 per glass. All spirits were £5.75 a shot. Overall, a good selection of decent grub at decent prices. Rating: 8/10.
Guinness Standard: Draft Guinness was available at all of the bars for a reasonable £6.95 a pint. In the name of research, all of our reviewers sampled it, and the verdict was “very good.” Rating: 8/10.
Friendliness of Course Staff: There were plenty of course staff on the racecourse, and all of them were very friendly, helpful, and chatty. Rating: 10/10.
Pros & Cons: Wincanton Racecourse is a cracking little track with a lot going for it. Access is good, parking is excellent, along with the overall viewing experience. The Parade Ring is easy on the eye, and the staff are some of the friendliest we have encountered during our travels. What's not to like? Once again, as with all reviews, we ask ourselves the question, "Would we return?" The answer is a very quick yes; we most certainly would. If you are looking for a day out racing down in the west country, in our opinion, Wincanton Racecourse ticks all of the boxes, and we highly recommend it. Rating: 8/10.
Wi-Fi / Internet Connection: Wi-Fi is available via the Jockey Club App, and we had no problems at all during the day.
Overall Racecourse Advisor Rating: 8.4/10.
The entire day's racing results can be found here: https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/meeting/2025-03-06/wincanton/110461
Facilities & Location Layout of Wincanton Racecourse (Image acknowledged & credited to The Jockey Club)
Aerial View of Wincanton Racecourse (Image acknowledged & credited to Google Earth)
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