Sandown Park Racecourse

Sandown Park
Location	Esher, Surrey
Owned by	Jockey Club Racecourses
Date opened	1875
Screened on	Racing TV
Course type	Flat; National Hunt
	Official website

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]

History[edit]

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[edit]

Month	DOW	Race Name	Type	Grade	Distance	Age/Sex
January	Friday	Grand Military Gold Cup	Chase	Conditions	3m	6yo +
February	Saturday	Masters Handicap Chase	Chase	Handicap	3m	5yo +
February	Saturday	Scilly Isles Novices' Chase	Chase	Grade 1	2m 4f	5yo +
February	Saturday	Heroes Handicap Hurdle	Hurdle	Premier Hcap	2m 6f	4yo +
March	Saturday	Imperial Cup	Hurdle	Premier Hcap	2m	4yo +
March	Saturday	EBF Novices' Hurdle	Hurdle	Premier Hcap	2m 4f	4yo-7yo
April	Friday	Sandown Mile	Flat	Group 2	1m	4yo +
April	Friday	Sandown Classic Trial	Flat	Group 3	1m 1f 209y	3yo only
April	Friday	Esher Cup	Flat	Handicap	1m	3yo
April	Friday	Gordon Richards Stakes	Flat	Group 3	1m 1f 209y	4yo +
April	Saturday	Bet365 Gold Cup	Chase	Premier Hcap	3m 5f	5yo +
April	Saturday	Celebration Chase	Chase	Grade 1	2m	5yo +
May	Thursday	Henry II Stakes	Flat	Group 3	2m 50y	4yo +
May	Thursday	Brigadier Gerard Stakes	Flat	Group 3	1m 1f 209y	4yo +
May	Thursday	National Stakes	Flat	Listed	5f 10y	2yo
May	Thursday	Heron Stakes	Flat	Listed	1m	3yo
May	Thursday	Whitsun Cup	Flat	Handicap	1m	4yo+
July	Saturday	Eclipse Stakes	Flat	Group 1	1m 1f 209y	3yo +
July	Saturday	Sprint Stakes	Flat	Group 3	5f 10y	3yo +
August	Saturday	Atalanta Stakes	Flat	Group 3	1m	3yo + f
August	Saturday	Solario Stakes	Flat	Group 3	7f	2yo only
December	Friday	Esher Novices' Chase	Chase	Grade 2	3m	4yo +
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 +

References[edit]

^ "Modern map of Lower Green, Esher". Lower Green Esher. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ Stevens, Peter, History of the National Hunt Chase 1860-2010, pp 53-55. ISBN 978-0-9567250-0-4
^ Plumptre, George (1985). The Fast Set - The World of Edwardian Racing. London: Andre Deutsch. p. 11. ISBN 0233977546.

External links[edit]

51°22′33″N 0°21′42″W / 51.37583°N 0.36167°W / 51.37583; -0.36167

[1] "Modern map of Lower Green, Esher". Lower Green Esher. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.

[Stevens-2] Stevens, Peter, History of the National Hunt Chase 1860-2010, pp 53-55. ISBN 978-0-9567250-0-4

[FastSet-3] Plumptre, George (1985). The Fast Set - The World of Edwardian Racing. London: Andre Deutsch. p. 11. ISBN 0233977546.

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