The Secret Racegoer walks through history at Warwick

by admin · Published January 1, 2020 · Updated January 14, 2022

The Secret Racegoer walks through history at Warwick

Warwick is steeped in history. It has to be with its eponymous castle tracing its foundations back to a wooden fort built by William the Conqueror in 1086.

Warwick Racecourse, which opened in 1707 making it one of the country’s oldest, also has claims to history as it staged the first ever jumps race as we would know it in 1831. It also claims to be “nestled next to Warwick Castle.”

Now “nestled” is open to interpretation. The walking distance between the racecourse and the Castle is at least 10 minutes, with a fair number of streets in between. Mind you it would be a bit of push to say it’s nestled next to Warwick University, as that’s nearly a three-hour walk, given the Warwick campus is in Coventry.

Warwick Station is described as being a short 20-minute walk from the racecourse. Why are such walks are never described as long? Maybe it’s a bit like those two-mile races that suddenly became one-mile seven-and-a-half-furlongs and 716 yards after the tracks were re-measured.

Fair estimate

Twenty minutes is a fair estimate of the time it takes walking from the station to the racecourse, although sign-posting is virtually non-existent so, without the aid of a Google map, it could take longer.

All roads lead to the castle it would seem, so it must be presumed that if the racecourse is nestled next to the castle it’s going to be easy to find.

The walk will take you under two gatehouses, east and west, dating back to when Warwick was a walled town. Next to the West Gatehouse is the Lord Leycester Hospital, for ex-servicemen, a stunning example of medieval courtyard architecture.

The West Gatehouse is also close to the racecourse, so it can be said to be nestled next to the track – the first bend to be precise.

Warwick Racecourse is in the historic Jockey Club racecourse portfolio, and track officials wear black jackets with the legend “Jockey Club Since 1750”, but many look younger.

Nestled together

The Secret Racegoer was at Warwick for its New Year’s Eve fixture, a well-attended day’s racing with a crowd in the region of 7,000, all nestled together.

And it was striking that the sport was at the centre of almost everyone’s attention, and it was a good cross-section of West Midland folk and an interloper from south London.

Age diversity was reflected in one of the races, a veterans’ handicap for conditional jockeys, with the raceday presenter helpfully pointing out that the horses were the “veterans” and the jockeys in the early stages of their careers.

However, it was the youngest horse in the race who won, the ten-year-old High Counsel, ridden to victory by three-pound claimer Alexander Thorne.

Like all the races on the card, the veterans’ chase was sponsored by Local Parking Security, with prizes awarded by various members of the company’s great and good.

Perhaps, with their attendance at the racecourse, cars around Warwick were nestled next to yellow lines with impunity.

Up close to the action

Racegoers can get close up to the action, with two big screens facing the stands. But maybe it wasn’t so great for patrons of the infield “party” enclosure who could well have developed cricks in their necks looking up at the giant screen.

They were, however, entertained by an enthusiastic Irish band all afternoon.

There was a bit of drizzle in the air and, shortly before Christmas, the Secret Racegoer had mislaid his flat cap, which would have come in handy. There’s only ever one way to locate such a lost item – buy a replacement. Then the lost item will immediately turn up.

As the Secret Racegoer reached for a cap on a stand selling various hats and accessories, the man sorting the hats immediately said “large”. The Secret Racegoer was somewhat taken aback, but the instant assessment proved correct.

It could have been worse. The sorting hat man could have said “Slytherin”.

The Secret Racegoer took two things away from Warwick. First a flat cap and, second, one for the notebook – Wilde About Oscar.

He was the Dan Skelton trained winner of the bumper in impressive style, taking the lead two-furlongs out and lengthening his lead at the furlong marker. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Actually, there was a third thing. Yet another drinking vessel that should have been returned for the £1 deposit. So that was a £6.10 pint of Guinness.

♦The Secret Racegoer was talking to Mike Deasy

More Secret Racegoer reports

Doubling up and Plumpton and Cheltenham http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-3kk

Walking through history at Warwick http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-3d6

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Royal Ascot 2019 part 2 http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-2co

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