Bangor-on-Dee
Date of Review: 13th November 2024 (First review: 23rd August 2022)
RCA Reviewers: Dave, Ray & Dave
Address: The Racecourse Overton Road, Wrexham LL13 0DA
Website: www.bangorondeeraces.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bangorraces/
Email: mail@bangorondeeraces.co.uk
Phone: 01244 304600.
Accommodation: https://www.hotels.com/de1810203/hotels-bangor-on-dee-united-kingdom/
Course Information
Bangor-on-Dee is a picturesque, if not an idiosyncratic, racecourse, situated just across the border, on the banks of the river Dee. It is one of only three racecourses in Wales, and the only one based in the north of the country. It is a jumps-only, left-handed course about a mile and a half in circumference. Almost triangular in shape and mainly flat, it is generally regarded as a fast track with relatively stiff fences and three sharp bends, which means the horses are constantly on the turn.
Aerial View of Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse (Image credited to Google Earth)
The course's characteristics lend themselves to fast, accurate jumpers who can travel at speed. It has nine fences per circuit, with the last two on the final straight, which is only one and a half furlongs in distance to the winning post. As a result, many of the top trainers bring their juvenile horses to Bangor as part of their horse-racing education.
The Racecourse Advisor Guide to Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse: The history of Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse goes back to 1858. When a match race was arranged across the country meadows of Bangor-on-Dee between Richard Myddleton Biddulph of the nearby Chirk Castle and the honourable Lloyd Keyon, for a prize of 50 guineas. The honourable Lloyd Keyon won the race easily while watched by a very large crowd. The meeting proved so popular that it became an annual event and was run on the very same course as racing is today.
Location Map - Bangor-on-Dee
Racecourse History: The legendary Victorian jockey Fred Archer rode his very first winner here, as did the famous author and sometime Royal jockey Dick Francis when he partnered Wrenbury Tiger in 1947. It was also during this year that a hurdle course was constructed and used for the first time. A company was formed in 1953, called the Bangor-on-Dee Steeplechases Ltd, and a stable block and accommodation for staff was built opposite the racecourse the following year.
The famous horse Amberleigh House, trained by Ginger McCain, won the Bryan Williams Handicap Chase at Bangor in 2002 and went on to win the Grand National two years later. Ginger’s son, Donald McCain, won the AMS Novices chase at the course in 2008 with Ballabriggs, who then went on to win the 2011 Grand National. The meeting proved so popular that it became an annual event and was run on the very same course as racing is today.
The racecourse was acquired by the Arena Racing Company in 2002. In 2006, Denman, trained by Paul Nicholls, won the JPCS Novice Hurdle race and went on to win the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also in 2006, a right-handed point-to-point course was constructed on the inside of the main racecourse, and two meetings a year are staged by the Wynnstay and the Flint and Denbigh hunts, to which Bangor-on-Dee racecourse has a close association.
Course Access:
By Road From the north, take the M6 onto the M56 and then onto the M53, following the signs for Wrexham. Take the A525 to Whitchurch. From the South and Midlands, take the M6 and the M54 (junction 3) and then the A41 to Whitchurch and the A525 towards Wrexham. The village of Bangor-on-Dee itself is not very well signed, and signs for the racecourse only appear when you are very close to the track.
There are various ways to approach the racecourse, which include taking numerous backroads or a magical mystery tour through the Wrexham industrial estate, depending on which satnav system you use. Please be aware that the racecourse only opens 85 minutes before the first race, for some totally unknown reason. In our experience, most other racecourses open at least two hours before the first race. This meant that cars were queuing on the road in both directions, at the main gate well in advance. It’s both dangerous and unnecessary. By all means, open the turnstiles and entrance to the racecourse at whatever time is deemed, but at least open the car park and allow cars to park up beforehand.
If you have not purchased a ticket in advance, you have to purchase one as you enter the car park and not at the turnstiles, for some other unknown reason. This obviously takes time, so the queues back up again. Bangor is also a cashless racecourse. Or is it? On the day of our visit, one of the two credit card payment terminals stopped working, and the staff were struggling to fix it. So what did they do? They suddenly started asking for payment in cash! It really was a bit of a time-consuming farce, to say the least.
By Rail The nearest train station is Wrexham, which is four miles from the course. A free bus service will take racegoers to the course from the station on racedays. The bus leaves the station 90 minutes before the first race.
By Air: The nearest major airports to Bangor-on-Dee are Liverpool (LPL), 23.4 miles. Manchester (MAN) 36.5 miles. Birmingham (BHX) is 62.7 miles, and Bristol (BRS) is 112.6 miles. Helicopter landings are available on the racecourse. Contact them on 01978 782 081 for further information. Rating: 7/10.
Parking: Parking and access to the course are excellent. There are two free car parks, one at either end of the racecourse. Both are on large flat, grassy fields, directly opposite the main racecourse entrance(s). When departing, the exit at the rear of the field can also be used. Rating: 10/10.
Pricing: The day of our visit was “Countryside Day,” a National Hunt seven-race card featuring one Class 1 Listed race, one Class 2 race, one Class 3 race, and four Class 4 races. The racecourse has two separate enclosures: the Paddock Enclosure and the Open Course.
The Open Course is a large open space ideal for families wishing to have a picnic or BBQ (alcohol is allowed). Gazebos and parasols are permitted within a specific area of the Open Course at the bottom of the car park, against the side of the track in this area. However, an additional cost of £10 per gazebo is required to be paid. The Paddock Enclosure is the main area of the racecourse, which allows access to the pre-parade ring, the parade ring, and the winner's enclosure, along with all of the bars and food concessions.
On the day, entrance into the Open Course was £13.00 per person. If you booked in advance, online tickets could be had for £9.00. Entrance to the Open Course was £23.00, or £19.00 if once again booked in advance online. Please be aware that when booking online, a sneaky and, in our opinion, unjustifiable £0.75p “transaction fee” is administered by the owners of the racecourse, The Chester Race Company Ltd, who also own and operate Chester Racecourse. The “transaction fee” is applied to all transactions. So if you book 3 tickets, you get hit with three £0.75p transaction charges. Why does the Chester Race Company persist with these rip-off “transaction charges”? Why not be upfront and simply make the headline price of the ticket you see online the price you actually pay? And why do they need to charge a “transaction fee” at all? The booking is done online; there is no administration or additional work to be done. It’s a rip-off. Pure and simple, and they need to be called out over it. Also, be aware that if booking tickets online, you will need to create and set up a Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse ticket account before purchasing tickets (same as Chester Racecourse).
Children under the age of 17 are admitted free if accompanied by a full-paying adult. Unfortunately, no concessions are available for OAPs. As mentioned previously, Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse does not have a grandstand of any description, so no seating or cover for the general public is available anywhere on the racecourse.
There were a couple of hospitality-upgrade options available, which required pre-booking, such as the Wynnstay Restaurant. For £77 +VAT (£92.40), you get to be in the 170-seater restaurant, which is located in the main area, adjacent to the racecourse, next to the bookmakers' ring. A two-course carvery lunch is served, with tea and coffee. There is a cash bar, and a complimentary racecard is thrown in, also. There is a dress code of no jeans or trainers allowed. For £119 +VAT (£142.80), you get a ticket into the Paddock Restaurant. This is a 150-seater, glass-fronted affair, which is directly opposite the parade ring and the pre-parade ring. Here, a three-course meal is served up with full waitress service, along with tea and coffee. A racecard is included, and table service betting is also offered. Once again, no jeans or trainers are allowed.
In our opinion, the ticket pricing is somewhat of a mixed bag. If booked online in advance, they are more than reasonable (except for the sneaky “transaction charges”). However, the on-the-day gate prices are a tad expensive for a racecourse that has no grandstand or shelter whatsoever, and you are completely open to the elements. We are not joking when we say check the weather forecast before you go. Because if it's raining, then you are going to need a decent brolly or umbrella, or you are going to get very, very wet. The hospitality upgrades are also expensive, relative to many other tracks of similar size and stature we have visited while on our travels.
Racecard: The Racecard was expensive at £4.00 but was a relatively bulky item with 47 pages, and it was an 8 Race card for the day. If you took away the full-page adverts, you would be left with just 28 pages, and then, for some reason, there were 2 races with the runners and riders for Ayr, under a section called Away Racing. We did find this strange as there were only 2 races from Ayr when they had a full meeting of 7 races slotted between the races at Bangor, it just left us scratching our heads, but one day somebody may explain.
On the plus side, the day's racecard was a fantastic full-page picture map layout of the course and facilities and also something that we do need to praise Weatherby’s for, in that before the two races that they sponsored, they gave a full-page review of the strengths and weaknesses of the runners for each race, which was a good, informative read. It had the useful facts page and also the Best Selections, with which they had a 50% win-hit rate, which was much better than we fared. Overall, a decent printed guide, but a little too heavily priced at £4.00. Rating: 6/10.
Catering: Here at Racecourse Advisor, we enjoy doing “racecourse reviews,” not restaurant reviews. Nor do we pretend to be food critics. Our aim is simply to give you an overall idea of the culinary options and prices available at the track on racedays.
The main bar area is the Wynnstay Bar, located on the left-hand side of the racecourse on the main concourse. It is a relatively large, open area, carpeted with tables and barstools.
The Wynnstay Bar - Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
A pint of Becks or Boddingtons was £6.40 each. Guinness and Magners were £6.90. 330ml Bottles of Corona and Camden Hells were £6.50 each, and Magners cider was £7.00 (ouch!). All shorts of whiskey, gin, rum, etc. were £4.60 each (25ml) and house wines of red, white, and rosé were £8.00 a glass each (187ml). A bottle of Prosecco will set you back £41.50, and if you want to get fizzicle with the real bubbly, then a bottle of champagne ranges from £80.00 to £100.00, depending on your choice. All mixers, including lemonade, Pepsi, etc., are £2.00 each (125ml). The bar is warm, and it has a roof, which is not to be underestimated at Bangor. There was another small bar area to the right called the Maelor bar. However, this appeared to be closed on the day of our visit.
Close by is a small but smart-looking bar called “Silks,” which the marketing blurb says is “a new private entertaining space for groups.”
The Silks Bar – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
We discovered this is a private bar area that can be hired out for a measly £400.00 a day. This seems more than a tad expensive, as you will be lucky to get more than a dozen people in there at a push. Needless to say, on one of the busiest fixtures of the year at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, there were no takers and the place was empty. If they had opened this up to the public, the place would have been rammed. You really do have to wonder just who is coming up with ideas and pricing schedules like this?
Unfortunately, we have to report that the food and catering options at Bangor on the day of our visit were not good, in both variety and quality. The food available at the racecourse was from the “street food” vendors in a small food court on the main concourse near the Wynnstay Bar. It has outdoor tables and chairs, and several wooden cabins you can sit in. The food court itself has no cover, and like everything else at Bangor, it is open to the elements.
The Food Court – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
It consisted of three basic options: a pie shop, a burger van, and a fish & chip shop. One of the busiest days in the Bangor racing calendar had clearly taken the vendors of the pie shop by surprise, and they had a very restricted menu of only steak or cheese pies, served with mushy peas and gravy for £6.50 each. Two of the Racecourse Advisor reviewers did partake in a steak pie and reported back that they were pretty good.
The fish and chip shop had a menu of fish and chips for £9.50 and a side of mushy peas, curry sauce, or gravy for £1.50 per portion. One of our reviewers did go for the fish and chips with curry sauce, and it has to be said, he was less than impressed.
Fish & Chips from The Food Court – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Not a lot of fish, but lots of overcooked fried batter. Hardly the largest portion of chips we have ever seen on a racecourse, and weird-tasting curry sauce. The majority of the £11.00 serving went straight into the bin.
Luckily, we didn’t get a chance to sample the burgers, which was probably a saving grace, as we saw one disgruntled racegoer return his burger to the vendor and explain that it was “red raw in the middle.” Not good.
The only other catering outlet available on the racecourse was an old horsebox situated at the back of the bookmakers, serving teas and coffees cryptically called “Meet Me In The Morning.” An Americano was £3.30. A Cappuccino, Latte, or Flat White was £3.40. A mocha was £3.50. A Dirty Chai Latte (whatever that is) was £4.00, and a double espresso was £2.60. For an extra £1.00, you could “go large” on all of the above. Breakfast tea was £2.40 a cup. Teapigs tea £2.50. The hot chocolate was £3.50, and the luxury hot chocolate was £4.40. They also had a small selection of cakes and brownies at various prices. We did indulge, and the drinks were piping hot and more than decent.
Meet Me In The Morning Coffee Outlet – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Our advice when it comes to catering at Bangor-on-Dee is to make sure you have had a hearty breakfast before you arrive or bring some sandwiches with you. Rating: 5/10.
Guinness Standard: £6.90 per pint. One of the lowest prices of a pint of Guinness so far, and it has to be said, it was one of the best pints of Guinness we have had so far. Cold and creamy, served in a thick plastic pint pot with a nice head. Genuinely excellent. Rating: 10/10.
Viewing: The viewing at Bangor-on-Dee is, in our opinion, something of a Curate's egg. Please allow us to explain.
The Viewing Area – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
As already mentioned, there is no grandstand of any description at Bangor, so racegoers watch the races while standing on top of an elevated grassy bank. However, the grassy bank is not aligned with the winning post. In fact, it is nowhere near the winning post. You are effectively watching the race from a head-on viewpoint. As stated previously, the racecourse is in the shape of a triangle. You are standing at the centre of the base of the triangle, while the winning post is close to the bottom of the left-hand side of the triangle.
The Viewing Area – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
The racecourse itself is a natural amphitheatre, so the overall views of the racecourse and the surrounding countryside are genuinely spectacular. However, the actual viewing of the horses while racing is very poor. There is a large TV screen immediately in front of you, which is needed, as without it, you really wouldn’t have any real idea of how the horses are travelling during the race. For this reason, we feel we have no choice but to mark the viewing accordingly. Rating: 4/10.
Parade Ring / Winners Enclosure: Is located immediately in front of the Weighing Room, and the Owners & Trainers bar is adjacent to that on the main concourse of the racetrack.
The Parade Ring & Winners Enclosure – Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
The Pre-Parade Ring - Bangor Racecourse
The Parade Ring has excellent viewing facilities with seating stools to the front and raised wooden platforms at the back. Hence, superb viewing of the horses, both pre- and post-race, is achieved. Rating: 9/10.
Bookmakers / Betting Facilities: More than ample Tote betting facilities all around the course. The main betting ring is at the side of the Parade Ring and has approximately 25 bookmaker’s pitches. Rating: 9/10.
Friendliness of Course Staff: Very friendly and helpful staff located at numerous points around the track who always seem to have the time for a chat or to offer information and advice. Rating: 10/10.
Pros & Cons: Not an easily located or easily accessible racecourse, which is some distance from the motorway(s). Relatively easy to find but not exceptionally well signed, it has to be said. Average pricing with excellent parking. The catering facilities are very good, along with a great Parade Ring / Winners Enclosure. There are several public picnic areas for families located around the track.
Further to this, the overall facilities are modern and up to date, with the main bar being air-conditioned. The viewing of the races is a mixed bag. The views across the racecourse are superb, but the viewing of the horses in racing is not so good. And the lack of any type of grandstand cannot be underestimated. Rating: 9/10.
Overall Racecourse Advisor Rating: 8.7/10.
Facilities & Location Map - Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse (image acknowledged and credited to Chester Race Company Ltd.)
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