Beginners Guide
Before you arrive at Haydock Park ...
The thrill of racing and the spectacle and colour of seeing horses and jockeys close up, the bustle around the parade ring and adrenalin rush of the race itself and just as important is the social side too.
The more you know about it, the more fun you'll have!
What to wear ...
For many ladies, dressing up is part of the experience: with 5 Ladies' Evenings throughout the summer, Haydock Park provides many excuses to purchase a new outfit for the occasion!
Preferred dress code for the Premier enclosure is a jacket and tie for the Gents and for the County Enclosure smart casual for both Ladies and Gentlemen and no Jeans, T-Shirts, Shorts or Trainers allowed. The Racecourse reserves the right to prohibit racegoers who are incorrectly dressed from entering designated areas.
For ladies, hats and fascinators are not compulsory though more and more people are wearing them. Handbags should be big enough to hold a racecard - normally a A5 sized booklet - along with your essentials, with a secure zip compartment for your money and betting tickets.
Depending on the type of admission booked, you will have a ticket and/or a badge. The latter should be prominently displayed - usually from a button hole or a handbag strap - so that it can be readily seen by officials.
What to take ...
You will need cash for the bookmakers, some but not all may take a minimum bet of £5. The Tote will take bets as small as £2. Tote betting vouchers can also be obtained with credit/debit cards at the Tote information points. There is a cash point located at the main entrance, but queues can form during busy racedays.
Racecards (a detailed guide to the day's action) are on sale from a booth located at the main entrance and are at a price of £3, although please note that hospitality and restaurant packages already include these (with the exception of Colours Restaurant and tailor-made packages). For homework beforehand, race details and tips are in the sports pages of national newspapers and the Racing Post on www.racingpost.co.uk.
Please disarm your camera flash as bright lights and sudden loud noises genuinely upset horses and undo their meticulous preparation for the race.
Binoculars are useful for following a particular horse, but there is a large screen on course by which to follow the exciting racing action.
If you would like to eat in one of the restaurants, you are advised to pre-book your place.
When you are here ...
Arriving
The start of the first race will vary from meeting to meeting and the main entrances all open 2 hours prior to the first race. The closer the start, the busier the traffic, so aim to arrive at least an hour and a half beforehand. This will give you time to understand the racecourse layout and check out facilities. For more information for those coming by public transport, please see General Information.
The Paddock
The paddock is the overall name for the area containing the Parade Rings and the "Weighing Room" - racing-speak for the officials' and jockeys' building.
The raceday takes place in a number of half-hour cycles. This begins in the pre-parade ring about 20 minutes before the first race, when the runners will be taken into the parade ring to warm up. It's worth watching this to get a first impression of the horses before they proceed out onto the course.
Entry to the parade ring is limited to sponsors, owners, trainers and jockeys but you will find ample vantage points all round.
The run up to the race
About five minutes before the race, the horses leave the parade ring to canter down to the start. If it is a flat race, they will take a few minutes to be loaded into the starting stalls. Canny racegoers will have already left the Paddock to place their bets (either in the Bookies Betting Ring situated in our Tattersalls Enclosure or with Betfred or the Tote) and secure a good view on the track. Allow 5 to 10 minutes to do both; don't leave it too late as bets cannot be taken once a race starts. Check with several bookmakers as some may offer better odds for your horse.
Between races, you may wish to buy a drink or snack, but so will everyone else, so please be patient. All enclosures have refreshment areas and TV screens so that no-one will miss the exciting action.
The prize giving
The race result is not official until you have heard the announcement "Weighed In." Until then, you cannot collect any winning bets. There is no need to worry, winning tickets can be redeemed any time during that day.
The first four placed horses return to the Winner's Enclosure within the Parade Ring and are unsaddled. A brief prize giving takes place between the race sponsors and the winning connections, which is worth watching, not only to spot some famous faces, but as a courtesy to the race sponsor.
Meanwhile, runners for the next race start to arrive in the Parade Ring and the whole cycle starts again.
Going home
Inevitably, with everyone trying to go home at once, queuing in car parks will occur. Please be patient while the traffic filters off the site. Exits to the course are from the main driveway and from the opposite end of the course (The Golborne Gates). No traffic will be allowed down the main driveway from the last race for one hour and the top of the driveway is policed during this time, so if you have ordered taxis please be aware of this.
We hope that this will help you in planning your perfect visit to Haydock Park Racecourse and we look forward to welcoming you!
Today
'Summer Loving' Evening Racing
6:10PM
© 2010 Haydock Park Race Course. Horse Racing and Conference Centre