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A horse from over here doing rather well over there
A horse from over here doing rather well over there

Remember an old TV advertisement from the 1990s for the conglomerate Hanson? The catchline was “a company from over here doing rather well over there”. There, of course, referred to the USA, the world’s richest nation, where every company hopes to break through. Hanson, of course, was the first sponsor of the Epsom Derby through […] Read more...

Cheltenham Festival 2024 - 6 horses to follow
Cheltenham Festival 2024 - 6 horses to follow

It is still summer so whisper it quietly, but we are now little more than three months away from the start of 2023/24 National Hunt season at Ludlow Racecourse. While there’s still a ton of top-class flat racing to enjoy before we get to that point, jump racing fans cannot wait for autumn to arrive. […] Read more...

Is Venetia Williams poised for major honours in 2023/24 season?
Is Venetia Williams poised for major honours in 2023/24 season?

Jumps racing takes a backseat in the summer months to allow the flat racing discipline of the sport to showcase its finest. Racing will return to Ludlow Racecourse in October when our National Hunt returns to action. Venetia Williams is one of a number of trainers that has exciting prospects ahead of her for the […] Read more...

Stellar summer on the cards for racing fans
Stellar summer on the cards for racing fans

With Ludlow not scheduled to stage another meeting until October 11, you may be wondering what to do with yourself between now and then. However, there are a ton of top-class sporting events taking place in the United Kingdom and Ireland which should keep you fully occupied. For instance, there are several major football games to […] Read more...

Smart horses and smart womenfolk see out our Spring in style
Smart horses and smart womenfolk see out our Spring in style

Harry Cobden has laid down a marker that he intends to challenge for the Jockeys’ Championship, and yesterday’s winner for Paul Nicholls doubled his score to 2 for the nascent season. Shearer, running in the colours of Max McNeill, had 2 1/4l to his advantage in a match race against Dan Skelton’s Jeffrey’s Cross to […] Read more...

Longsdon at the double in the gloaming
Longsdon at the double in the gloaming

Cotswold trainer Charlie Longsdon stole the honours at yesterday’s evening meeting with a 77-1 double late in the card to bring his new season tally to 3 winners from just 7 runners. Alghazaal on only his second run over fences, showed a clean pair of heels under Kielan Woods to the rest of the field, […] Read more...

Why ITV's commitment to UK racing should be celebrated
Why ITV's commitment to UK racing should be celebrated

Back in mid-December of last year, ITV found itself in a bit of a pickle. It had planned to broadcast the action from Ascot and Haydock for its flagship ITV Racing Saturday programme. The weather, however, had other plans, cancelling the cards at the two venues at short notice. It prompted a flurry of phone […] Read more...

Growing the racing audience - clubs and ownership options
Growing the racing audience - clubs and ownership options

This week’s news of a free racing club for 18-26 year olds by the Qipco British Champions Series is the latest attempt by racing administrators to engage a young audience which has to fight through 6-8 pages of football and other sport before reaching the racing pages in every mainstream newspaper or web site. It’s […] Read more...

Henry's Daly double on home turf
Henry's Daly double on home turf

Trainers Henry Daly and Neil Mulholland shared the honours at Ludlow yesterday, each scoring a brace of winners in the final week of the season that concludes at Sandown on Saturday. Mulholland will be sorry to see the counter revert to zero again as his team are in red-hot form. Four of his last five […] Read more...

Enjoy Ludlow for scenery and best of class racing
Enjoy Ludlow for scenery and best of class racing

Attending a horse race can be a thrilling experience that blends the excitement of live sport with the sophistication of a social event. However, what makes a truly unforgettable day out at the races? For those visiting Ludlow, it’s not just the exciting horse races that make it a must-visit destination, but also the breath-taking […] Read more...

Can Venetia bring home the goods in next week's National?
Can Venetia bring home the goods in next week's National?

Venetia Williams pulled off one of the greatest shocks in the history of the Grand National with her charge Mon Mome in 2009. The horse was a 100/1 outsider, but put forward one of the most memorable performances in National history to take the world’s greatest steeplechase, matching the likes of Foinavon to win the […] Read more...

Annsam is one to watch as Boyne Cup winner wins with authority
Annsam is one to watch as Boyne Cup winner wins with authority

Owner Wayne Clifford has enjoyed some memorable victories in recent years, not least with Coole Cody in the Paddy Power Gold Cup of 2020, its December equivalent a year on and the Festival Plate in March last year. Coole Cody’s exploits have hidden under a bushel the exploits of one Annsam, whose 8 victories have […] Read more...

Easter Bonanza - Sunday 2nd April
Easter Bonanza - Sunday 2nd April

FAMILY FUN DAY – FREE ENTRY – 12 – 4PM On Sunday 2nd April, we have a fantastic array of food, drink and craft stalls including: Shropshire salumi Beau Chocolate Penrhos Spirits Mukaase Afro Caribbean Cuisine Lalita’s Indian Street Food Pizza Girls Miss Olives Aunty Mo’s Scotch Eggs Chockshop The Beefy Boys The Tippled Fox Marvellous Mixes […] Read more...

Latitude shows a breadth of talent
Latitude shows a breadth of talent

Time was there used to be poor fields after Cheltenham when every owner has tried his darnedest to have a runner at the sport’s marquee event. Owners are faced with considerably more choice nowadays, added to the fact they may be over-faced by the Irish invasion as well. That’s good news for meetings like ours […] Read more...

Festival pointers to the National a month hence
Festival pointers to the National a month hence

If the Festival last week didn’t push back the invasion of Irish winners at Cheltenham, it did, at least, create some pointers toward the other fascinating riddle of the Spring – the Grand National in a little over 4 weeks time. The five week gap between the two key festivals of the Spring should allow […] Read more...

Complete Your Cheltenham with RacingTV
Complete Your Cheltenham with RacingTV

🧩 All 28 races live 🧩 Two exclusive races every day 🧩 Over 30 hours of unmissable coverage Watch every piece of The #CheltenhamFestival only on @RacingTV > bit.ly/Chelt2023 Read more...

Ralph narrowly denied a treble
Ralph narrowly denied a treble

It was a red letter day for Alistair Ralph yesterday, who missed out on a treble by the small trifle of 2 1/4l in the main feature of the day, the Forbra Gold Cup. Alistair Ralph is homing in on a personal best season, and his horses are running hot currently. Based between Bridgnorth and […] Read more...

Ludlow winner Quick Wave to provide Williams with strong hand in Randox Grand National
Ludlow winner Quick Wave to provide Williams with strong hand in Randox Grand National

Quick Wave added to Venetia Williams stable of top flight winners on Saturday last with a game win in the dour conditions of Haydock’s Grand National Trial, and put herself in the frame for a tilt at the real thing in April. She is one of 3 entries by the Ross-on-Wye handler in pursuit of […] Read more...

A day for novices and maidens is always of interest
A day for novices and maidens is always of interest

The bizarre February weather has been playing havoc with trainers’ plans, but 51 horses participated in Ludlow’s penultimate fixture before everyone descends upon Cheltenham in a little more than a fortnight to enjoy the good ground. The bedrock of the sport is amidst the amateur division, where lads and girls learn how to ride and […] Read more...

Follow Ludlow's leading lights for optimal performance
Follow Ludlow's leading lights for optimal performance

Shropshire and its surrounds are flying high presently, with trainers from the Marches well represented in the Trainers’ Championship. Trainers large and small have been over-delivering, making our county a centre of excellence for the sport of which Ludlow can be rightly proud. Aspirant racing trainers should look to the best in the business and […] Read more...

Grand National remains the race to define a career
Grand National remains the race to define a career

The Aintree Grand National has provided many memorable moments in its 184-year history. From legendary horses like Red Rum, dramatic falls, pile-ups, and even a race that never was, the world-famous contest has seen it all. Some of the greatest memories have come when a rank outsider shocks the racing industry to win the richest […] Read more...

Can the appeal of NFTs broaden the audience for racing?
Can the appeal of NFTs broaden the audience for racing?

The racing gossip grapevine is full currently of reaction to the affordability checks being applied to punters and their impact on racing’s finances. It’s a topic that is likely to rumble on for some time. But there’s a parallel issue which also threatens to provide an alternative outlet for gamblers rather than live racing, which […] Read more...

L'Homme Pressé injury opens up Gold Cup market again
L'Homme Pressé injury opens up Gold Cup market again

Venetia Williams is still smarting from the news that stable star L’Homme Pressé is set to miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. The Herefordshire trainer was left disappointed after her star chaser suffered a setback after the King George VI Chase but is now concentrating on getting her other Gold Cup hopeful, Royale Pagaille, […] Read more...

New Year's resolution: buy a racehorse!
New Year's resolution: buy a racehorse!

At the start of a new calendar year, many of us are putting some goals together for the 12 months ahead, and if you are a keen horse racing fan, owning a share in a racehorse should be one of those you get involved in. After all, life is short! If you have been to […] Read more...

Tide is in for trainers named Williams
Tide is in for trainers named Williams

The wet January has maintained the welcome increase in the volume of runners at our fixtures, to the extent that 68 ran across our seven race card last week to blow away the New Year cobwebs. And whilst many are back at work, those that attended were treated to some close finishes to raise the […] Read more...

Gripping finishes a just reward for valuable Christmas card
Gripping finishes a just reward for valuable Christmas card

Ludlow led the return to racing after the big freeze, and the ambitious £100,000 card was rewarded with the largest fields in many months as 79 runners faced the starter in the seven races. And there was much for long time race sponsor Tanners Wine Merchants to toast as many of our leading stables showed […] Read more...

Nicholls and the King George - an unsurpassed record
Nicholls and the King George - an unsurpassed record

The inevitable march toward a fourteenth Trainers’ Championship by Paul Nicholls is not without its peculiarities, not least that Ludlow is not a happy hunting ground in pursuit of winners. Yet to enjoy a winner around our quirky circuit this season, the champion elect has consistently failed to appear in the rankings. But as we […] Read more...

Is the British racing model really so bad?
Is the British racing model really so bad?

The quiet week with no Jump racing got me musing about how other racecourses earn a return on their capital. The common perception is that British racing may offer the finest sport, but the sport is grossly imbalanced, and underfunded, meaning owners cannot achieve a sustainable return on their ownership through prize money, and trainers […] Read more...

Two to watch from Venetia and Fergal
Two to watch from Venetia and Fergal

The early stages of the 2022/23 National Hunt season have made impressive reading for trainers based around Ludlow, and many will hope that bright local performances turn into victories on the major stage. Venetia Williams and Fergal O’Brien trained horses have great opportunities to capitalise on the momentum of their strong starts to the campaign […] Read more...

Williams franks stable wellbeing as Ralph scores a double
Williams franks stable wellbeing as Ralph scores a double

Venetia Williams is in fine form this past month, and stamped that wellbeing on Wednesday’s feature Corrie Cup with a fluent win from Laskalin under Shane Quinlan, beating 6 rivals for a handsome midweek prize. The stable is sitting pretty after L’Homme Pressé’s recent fluent reappearance, and the mid winter months are generally a time […] Read more...

L'Homme Pressé remains in King George field for Williams
L'Homme Pressé remains in King George field for Williams

The King George VI Chase is one of the biggest races of the season in National Hunt racing, and Herefordshire-based trainer Venetia Williams will be hoping to win it for the second time in her career this year. Williams’ best chance in 2022 is likely to be with L’Homme Pressé. The seven-year-old remains in the […] Read more...

Apart From Home, where else can you watch Jump Racing?
Apart From Home, where else can you watch Jump Racing?

Modern jump racing began in the 18th century in England. Since then, horse racing events in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Berkshire have shaped the nation’s identity in the sport. The success of trainers like Kerry Lee and Henry Daly has also put England on the map for horse racing, but what other countries are actively involved […] Read more...

Soft conditions bring on a Venetia Williams double
Soft conditions bring on a Venetia Williams double

The curiosity that is the British weather ensured that 39 runners turned out for the six races of our second fixture of the season; only a month ago, ground was too firm. Now, it has turned to the soft that one might reasonably expect in mid-November. One man normally unchecked by matters of weather or […] Read more...

King George on the cards for Royal Pagaille
King George on the cards for Royal Pagaille

Two-time Grade Two winner Royale Pagaille could be set for a big campaign this season, with all the leading 3m chasers under consideration for Venetia Williams’ talented chaser, including the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The eight-year-old featured five times last season, with the pick of his performances coming in the […] Read more...

A day for novices to impress
A day for novices to impress

Fergal O’Brien has pinned his colours to the mast in terms of ambitions for this season, aiming to beat last season’s total of 128 winners, and the momentum he built up over the early months of the season shows no sign of abating now the softer ground horses are reappearing. Today’s 7 runners split between […] Read more...

Select fields welcome back the sport to Ludlow
Select fields welcome back the sport to Ludlow

Ludlow’s season got off the mark on a dank autumn afternoon at the second time of asking, following the cancellation of the early October fixture, but all the talk was of events at Westminster rather than the little bubble of racing. In an extraordinary day of political turmoil, it was little surprise that the Truss […] Read more...

The top women jockeys in the world: have your say
The top women jockeys in the world: have your say

Horse racing has been a sport dominated by men ever since the year dot. Even before it was a sport, riding for pleasure was a luxury only afforded to men. In medieval times, women weren’t allowed to ride horses, but it was largely due to the backward cultural norms that were prevalent at the time. […] Read more...

Venetia Williams takes aim at Gold Cup with L'Homme Pressé
Venetia Williams takes aim at Gold Cup with L'Homme Pressé

It is set to be an excellent season ahead for the connections of L’Homme Pressé , as the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup will be his target at the end of the campaign. The 2022 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner has shown he has the class to win big races at the Cheltenham Festival. The seven-year-old went […] Read more...

Prime Minister Campaign Trail hits Ludlow
Prime Minister Campaign Trail hits Ludlow

     The Conservative leader campaign stopped off at Ludlow racecourse this week to a rousing audience of just under 400 voters. Both runners put their cases across as to why they should be the next leader of the Conservative Party and the countries new Prime Minister. Read more...

Save The Day - 15th October 2022
Save The Day - 15th October 2022

    Ludlow Racecourse are pleased to announce our up and coming wedding fair Stall Holders please contact Rhian on [email protected]  Please call in first instance as only a few left now! Read more...

Duffer's Guide to racing: we all need it sometime
Duffer's Guide to racing: we all need it sometime

The summer is populated by racing fixtures in which many of our spectators have only a passing interest in the sport. Innovative racecourse executives have staged music after racing ever since the pioneering Newmarket Nights were brought in 40 years ago by Nick Lees, and mid-summer brings a flurry of Ladies Days. It’s easy to […] Read more...

Real or digital? Racing's crypto alternative
Real or digital? Racing's crypto alternative

The Grand National is one of the best-known races in the racing world and close to every Jump fan’s heart. That being said, it is hardly the only one, and what’s more, a whole generation of racing fans are growing up on fantasy and digital racing games which could yet make the real sport obsolete. […] Read more...

Lester: a jockey's jockey
Lester: a jockey's jockey

If you’ve ever tried riding as short as Lester Piggott, you’ll find it very uncomfortable when your knees knock together across the horse’s withers. Piggott’s seat in the saddle, to accommodate his long legs, was just one of many attributes that have been identified in the many accolades in the week that “The Long Fellow” […] Read more...

In-form trainers rue our summer sign-off
In-form trainers rue our summer sign-off

And so to our final meeting of this season, punctuated by as dry a Spring as anyone can remember. Forty-five runners across our seven race card turned out to bid us farewell until October’s restart. The 2021-22 season has been punctuated by several themes, but one which has given much pleasure to many racing folk […] Read more...

Dressing the part for the races: a beginner's guide
Dressing the part for the races: a beginner's guide

Is it a date? Is it a meeting with high profile people? If you’re going to a race meet, you definitely need to dress the part, but what is appropriate for Ascot is not necessarily the same as for Ludlow. Here are 5 tips on how not to miss the occasion! Take the terrain into […] Read more...

Fenney Brook takes the ladies' breath away
Fenney Brook takes the ladies' breath away

Our annual ladies day produced more Best Turned Out awards than there were races, enhanced by some gorgeous Spring sunshine. Thank you to all our participants and for encouraging our accompanying menfolk to scrub up to keep up. Sartorial standards at Ludlow have never been higher! On the track meantime, the handicapper could afford to […] Read more...

L'Homme Presse offers chance of first Gold Cup for Venetia Williams
L'Homme Presse offers chance of first Gold Cup for Venetia Williams

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival was, as ever, packed with drama, shock winners, and agonising falls. The apple of Venetia Williams’ eye However, few sights were quite as arresting as L’Homme Presse powering up the Prestbury Park hill to victory in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, and indeed the show of strength was such that it has […] Read more...

Belmont winners to excite you this Spring in the USA
Belmont winners to excite you this Spring in the USA

We’re not generally a course to enthuse about Flat racing, but there are some events in the international calendar that rise above the partisan divide between the two codes. With just two fixtures of our own remaining therefore, it’s time to look further afield to the US Triple Crown, in which British-trained horses have been […] Read more...

Dennis is a partner in Edgcote's resurgence
Dennis is a partner in Edgcote's resurgence

Horses for Courses is a long established racing truism whose merit was tested successfully again at Ludlow this afternoon when Broken Quest secured a third victory at our Shropshire course in the feature Farm & Garden Machinery Handicap Chase in a 3 1/2l win over Trixter. In doing so, he gave a 16th winner of […] Read more...

Tide Times produces a thriller in Boyne Cup
Tide Times produces a thriller in Boyne Cup

Race of the day yesterday was deservedly awarded to the day’s feature, the 3m Boyne Cup, which produced a thriller of a finish in which last week’s victor, Tide Times, followed up again by a short head against Kim Bailey’s Bobhopeornohope, the two a distance ahead of the remainder. It was, however, a day punctuated […] Read more...

Betting on the gee-gees: a pastime as old as the hills and equally enduring
Betting on the gee-gees: a pastime as old as the hills and equally enduring

Online betting has become a cornerstone pastime in the UK. The British public has always enjoyed betting on the horses. So it’s not surprising that online betting on horse races has become a popular way to have fun, and maybe win a few pounds here and there too. This may not be news to you […] Read more...

Tide comes in for Williams and Todd
Tide comes in for Williams and Todd

The week after Cheltenham is generally not punctuated by top quality racing, given the lure of big money prizes the previous week. Forty-one runners faced the starter in the 7 races hosted in glorious Spring sunshine at Ludlow yesterday on perfect racing ground to thrill a decent midweek crowd. Ian Williams has had a quiet […] Read more...

A day to remember for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch
A day to remember for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch

The outstanding form of trainer-rider partnership of Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch continued today in what will prove a long-cherished memorable day two of the Cheltenham Festival. L’Homme Presse set the tone by standing his ground in a Brown Advisory Novices Steeplechase after the withdrawal of Bravemansgame due to the ground, and his supremacy was […] Read more...

Cloudy Glen heads Venetia Williams' strong hand at Aintree
Cloudy Glen heads Venetia Williams' strong hand at Aintree

Herefordshire trainer Venetia Williams added her name to the Grand National roll of honour in 2009 when she saddled Mon Mome to victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase. Williams became only the second female trainer in history to win the race behind Jenny Pitman. Since then, Sue Smith and Lucinda Russell have both all […] Read more...

Double up George ranks Ludlow a favourite
Double up George ranks Ludlow a favourite

It’s clear that Tom George is a keen fan of racing at Ludlow; he has sent more runners there than any other course in Britain, and continues to enjoy an outstanding record there. It says something about his affinity for the track that his horses have won more there than at any other British course […] Read more...

Doubles apiece for cricketing buddies Bailey & Hobbs
Doubles apiece for cricketing buddies Bailey & Hobbs

Given their recent runs of form, one might reasonably have expected Venetia Williams and Henry Daly to figure at their local fixture, but in the event, the wizard of King’s Caple was conspicuous by her absence, and the Daly horses knocked on the door without quite finding the Winner’s position. Instead, honours were largely shared among […] Read more...

Can Royal Pagaille cause an upset at Cheltenham and return the Gold Cup to Herefordshire?
Can Royal Pagaille cause an upset at Cheltenham and return the Gold Cup to Herefordshire?

The countdown to the Cheltenham Gold Cup is on, and while the main contenders for the race come from Ireland, the UK has several lively outsiders that are hoping to get involved. One of those is Royale Pagaille, trained by Venetia Williams, and a horse that managed to finish sixth in the race last season, […] Read more...

A look at the underrated Australian autumn racing season
A look at the underrated Australian autumn racing season

For most racing fans in the UK, the spring months mean but one thing: the climax of the national hunt season with the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals. There’s plenty of action elsewhere, of course, including lots of meetings at Ludlow right up until May, but the two big festivals tend to gobble up the media […] Read more...

In-form Williams continues to blaze a trail
In-form Williams continues to blaze a trail

Venetia Williams continued her merry romp through 2022 when adding a further double to her tally at Ludlow this afternoon. Fresh from her first Grade I success since 2002 with L’Homme Presse at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Novices Chase, she was unlucky not to drive home with a treble in the bag after her […] Read more...

Hands and heels wins the races
Hands and heels wins the races

A bright January afternoon at Ludlow offered two perfect examples of when use of the stick can sometimes unbalance a horse this afternoon. In the two closest finishes, separating first and second by a neck and and head, the winning rider had in both instances focused on drive and balance against use of the whip. […] Read more...

Is the Cheltenham Gold Cup headed west (again)?
Is the Cheltenham Gold Cup headed west (again)?

Let’s face it: the start of a new year is rarely the time to make pronouncements on potential Gold Cup winners, nor were there any surprises when the entries were announced last week. It’s not that it’s impossible to predict – Minella Indo had his backers this time last year – it’s more the case […] Read more...

Venetia Williams rides the rollers with Quick Wave
Venetia Williams rides the rollers with Quick Wave

Venetia Williams is leading the charge among the trainers of the Welsh Marches. Quick Wave, off the course since March 2020, and the subject of wind surgery in July, showed no ring-rustiness in bolting up in the feature Plyvine Handicap Chase. Frankly the rest were running around for the minor placings once Harry Bannister released […] Read more...

Giant Hillcrest walks tall for Daly
Giant Hillcrest walks tall for Daly

Henry Daly is once again back among the winners, with a cross card double at Catterick and Cheltenham giving him the best possible start to 2022. Having Trevor Hemmings as an owner is the gift that keeps on giving, even though the great man is sadly no longer with us. His executors have not as […] Read more...

Tanners raise a glass of Christmas cheer to our winners
Tanners raise a glass of Christmas cheer to our winners

Christmas is generally a pretty bucolic affair, so perhaps it’s no surprise that Tanner’s Wines has been the lead sponsor of Ludlow’s pre-Christmas fixture for over 25 years. As most of their work for the holiday period must be done, a celebration should certainly be in order. It’s with partnerships like these that racecourses can […] Read more...

Can Cloudy Glen hand Williams her second National winner?
Can Cloudy Glen hand Williams her second National winner?

Venetia Williams created history in 2009 by training the 100/1 outsider Mon Mome to victory in the Grand National. The bay gelding became the longest-priced winner alongside Foinavon in the history of the illustrious event when he cantered to victory 12 lengths ahead of the rest of the field. It was one of the biggest […] Read more...

Too much racing? Think again
Too much racing? Think again

It’s a common refrain in racing that there’s too much of it; that if there were less fixtures, somehow the quality of the fare would be improved. Sadly this is a specious argument. Leaving aside racing’s valuable income streams from media and betting, which rely on constant racing day in day out to perpetuate a […] Read more...

Tom George doubles up to maintain excellent Ludlow record
Tom George doubles up to maintain excellent Ludlow record

Tom George enhanced his excellent record at Ludlow today with a chase double at a cumulative 24/1, as softer ground delivered better fields all round. Two from four runners is a good day at the office. In the G C Rickards Ltd Novices Handicap Chase Jobesgreen Lad was always handy, led four out and maintained […] Read more...

Ryan who? Hats off to double-toting Potter
Ryan who? Hats off to double-toting Potter

Name me a trainer with a 75% strike rate in the past 2 weeks? To pre-empt you, it won’t be an obvious choice. Enter stage left one Ryan Potter. Ryan trains near Ross-on-Wye, and enjoyed a rare double at Market Rasen today, proving that the small handlers can mix it with the big boys, and […] Read more...

What's your ante-post fancy for Cheltenham?
What's your ante-post fancy for Cheltenham?

Venetia Williams, successful at Newbury last weekend with her biggest win since Mon Mome in the 2009 Grand National, has found success at the Cheltenham Festival elusive in recent years, her last winner coming in 2013 in the Festival Plate with Carrickboy under the late lamented Liam Treadwell. In the past 20 years, she’s been […] Read more...

It's caps off to the late Trevor Hemmings as Venetia Williams scoops a big prize
It's caps off to the late Trevor Hemmings as Venetia Williams scoops a big prize

Over here in Shropshire, we consider Venetia Williams one of our own. I mean, she may be over the county border in Hereford, but at less than 36 miles distant, she is, by comparison with many trainers sending us runners, a local. Our local trainers support us and we get right behind them. So watching […] Read more...

Black Friday (26th) - Racing TV's best ever offer!
Black Friday (26th) - Racing TV's best ever offer!

Racing TV’s best ever offer! Racing TV are offering their best ever offer for Black Friday! Join Racing TV today for just £10 / €12 per month for the next 12 months – a huge saving for the year of £179 or €228. This offer is only available today and must end at midnight, so don’t miss out! […] Read more...

Late November sunshine lights up O'Brien - Brennan double
Late November sunshine lights up O'Brien - Brennan double

Hats off to groundstaff at Ludlow for producing a winter card with the highest number of runners in a chase among today’s three cards. The eight runners that started in the Marsh Commercial Novices Handicap Chase produced a scintillating finish too, not without incident either. Not that one could say the pace of the race […] Read more...

What will it take for a Shropshire-trained horse to win at the Cheltenham Festival?
What will it take for a Shropshire-trained horse to win at the Cheltenham Festival?

When the 2022 Cheltenham Festival kicks off next March, horse racing enthusiasts from Shropshire and the surrounding areas will be desperate to see a local winner. The level of quality in the region is high, with Venetia Williams’, Michael Scudamore’s and Henry Daly’s yards all in good form. Of course, Cheltenham pits the cream of […] Read more...

Royal Pagaille set for second shot at Gold Cup
Royal Pagaille set for second shot at Gold Cup

Hertfordshire-based trainer Venetia Williams will be hoping Royal Pagaille steps up on the form he showed last season, which would put him in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture once again. Williams, who regularly has runners at Ludlow, has done an excellent job with her French recruit. The horse arrived in her yard in January 2020. […] Read more...

Who's your best of the best among chasers and hurdlers?
Who's your best of the best among chasers and hurdlers?

We’re fond of saying in this country that our racing is the best in the world, whether this is the Derby or the delights of Aintree or the earthy authenticity of Hexham and Ludlow. The rich heritage of Jump racing in this country provides us a solid platform to contest our market-leading credentials over lesser […] Read more...

Williams not to be denied in Current Mood
Williams not to be denied in Current Mood

Reading the papers this week, one could be forgiven for thinking the world is going to hell in a handcart. Budget worries and fisticuffs with the French over fish in the UK, pushing for measures against global warming from reluctant world leaders in Glasgow, and dramas in cricket after Yorkshire’s demonstration of how not to […] Read more...

Daly is bringing winners back to Downton once again
Daly is bringing winners back to Downton once again

The last couple of seasons have not been kind to Ludlow’s resident trainer Henry Daly, who trains at Downton Hall, just 4 miles north east of the racecourse. Between December 2020 and the following March, his horses finished in front just twice, fittingly, the second victory in our own Forbra Gold Cup. As Henry told […] Read more...

Horse Racing Ireland funding reduced by €6m shows it's not plain sailing in racecourse finance
Horse Racing Ireland funding reduced by €6m shows it's not plain sailing in racecourse finance

There was plenty of interest in Irish Finance Minister’s Paschal Donohoe’s latest budget announcement, and although Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has disappointingly seen its funding cut by over €5 million for 2022, the HRI hierarchy remains extremely positive about the future of the sport. Twelve months ago, HRI received an additional near €10 million, an […] Read more...

Can Do Your Job step forward for Scudamore?
Can Do Your Job step forward for Scudamore?

Herefordshire – based horse trainer Michael Scudamore could have a successful 2021/22 season on his hands if one of his leading charges can take the next step forward in his development. Do Your Job enjoyed a solid season over hurdles in the 2020/21 season, putting forward two excellent performances towards the end of the campaign. […] Read more...

Happy News keeps the prizes at home for Groucott
Happy News keeps the prizes at home for Groucott

Spectators at Ludlow had to wait until the last race of the day for the closest finish on a day when runners remained thin on the ground despite last night’s rain. But the finish of the Butcher Woods Ltd Novices Handicap Hurdle was well worth the wait as Jamie Moore conjured a final extra effort […] Read more...

The Welsh Marches are the birthplace of champions
The Welsh Marches are the birthplace of champions

Legendary racecourses host the biggest events in the sport. They attract the top names from racing, whether they are horses, trainers, owners, or sponsors. These courses spring to mind as soon as you imagine a horse galloping to the finish line while tens of thousands of spectators cheer it home. Ludlow may not be the […] Read more...

The women leading our sport into the 21st century
The women leading our sport into the 21st century

When Rachael Blackmore won the coveted top jockey trophy at this year’s Festival, and topped it 3 weeks later by winning the Grand National, there was talk of laying the ghost of spurned lady riders once and for all. Despite being considered as a male-dominated industry, representation in horse training is actually quite impressive, especially […] Read more...

Season off and running in record time
Season off and running in record time

Marlborough trainers dominated the two steeplechases on Ludlow’s season – opening card today as Alan King and Emma Lavelle both bagged a winner. King, still chuckling from the Group I success of Trueshaan at Longchamp on Saturday, took the Margaret Roberts Remembrance Handicap Chase under Alexander Thorne, making good use of his 5lb claim on […] Read more...

Do reasons for cancellation get more bizarre than this? What it takes to stop a race meeting.
Do reasons for cancellation get more bizarre than this? What it takes to stop a race meeting.

Between March and the end of June 2020, British racing endured its longest shutdown in living memory as the Covid crisis kept everyone confined to their homes. It was a bizarre time looking back, and knowing more now than we did then. But the authorities in the British Horseracing Authority and Racecourse Association took a […] Read more...

How a childhood visit to Ludlow sparked a lifelong interest in racing
How a childhood visit to Ludlow sparked a lifelong interest in racing

Johnny Bullock, who rode the 1951 Grand National winner Nickel Coin, lived in my village, writes Tony Vincent. In 1947 Caughoo won the National by 20 lengths at 100/1. Johnny had told my family to back it, and my grandmother did. Until that time the only horses that interested me were the farm’s shires, but […] Read more...

National Racehorse Week
National Racehorse Week

Running from 12th – 19th September, National Racehorse Week will be bookended by the existing ARC Malton Open Day and the Henry Cecil Open Weekend in Newmarket, as well as the Epsom and Middleham Open Days, with trainers across the country and outside of the main training centres encouraged and supported to open their doors […] Read more...

Open Day for Job Opportunities at Ludlow Racecourse
Open Day for Job Opportunities at Ludlow Racecourse

We have a number of job opportunities here at Ludlow Racecourse for the upcoming season and we would love to welcome you to our open day, on Wednesday 25th August, where you can find out all about the racecourse and what the staff positions entail. The open day will be an informal event where you […] Read more...

RCA Update - British Racing Key Messages Q&A 140520
RCA Update - British Racing Key Messages Q&A 140520

Racings-Return-Key-Messages-and-Q-and-A-300420-2-2Racing’s Return – Key Messages and Q and A 300420 (2) Read more...

Press Passes
Press Passes

We need to start issuing press passes to every journalist and photographer who comes to the racecourse in future. Please could you all contact the office on 01584 856221 to register before you visit and then come to the office on the day to collect your pass which will be date stamped each time.  Many […] Read more...

Coffee Morning
Coffee Morning

Reminder of our Macmillan Coffee Morning in the Plymouth Stand – Friday 27 September 10am – 12 noon. Raffle prizes include £150 vouchers from Kerry Foods, badges for racing, champagne, and other goodies. Read more...

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