Newmarket (Rowley Mile)
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Date of Review: 22nd October 2025
RCA Reviewers: Dave & Peter
Address: Westfield House, The Links, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 0TG
Website: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newmarketracecourses/
X: https://x.com/NewmarketRace
Email: newmarket.boxoffice@thejockeyclub.co.uk Phone: 01638 675500 Accommodation: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket/visitor-info/accommodation-where-to-stay/ Track
Layout: (Images acknowledged & credited to Timeform & At The Races)
Course Information: The Rowley Mile racecourse (named after Old Rowley, who was the favourite racehorse and stallion of King Charles II) is a roughly shaped, reversed letter L. It is right-handed and approximately two and a half miles in length. The home straight is 1 mile and 2 furlongs, making it unique in the fact that it is the longest straight of any racecourse in Britain. Races greater than 10 furlongs begin on the straight known as the “Cesarewitch” course, before making a right-handed bend to join the long home straight. All races from five to ten furlongs are run on the straight, which features several undulations, and a pronounced downhill slope at the second-to-last furlong, followed by a steep uphill climb to the finishing post, which is commonly known as “The Dip”. The racecourse is unique in that it is the only one in the UK where horses pass through two counties, both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, during a race.
The track suits galloping types of horses, as the course is wide, and they have plenty of room available for the horses to stretch their legs on the long run-in. Stamina is also necessary to tackle the uphill finish and see the race through to the end. Jockeys who commit and go early for home often end up getting collared close to the finishing line, particularly when running into a headwind, as there is no cover whatsoever for the horses that are leading the pack. It is generally considered to be a more than fair track, with little to no draw bias.
The Racecourse Advisor Guide to Newmarket Racecourse – Rowley Mile: Newmarket is located on the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire borders, 16 miles from the city of Cambridge, and 60 miles from London. It is generally accepted as being the headquarters of British horse racing. It also has the National Stud, the National Horseracing Museum and the largest number of training yards in the country.
Location Map – Newmarket Racecourse
Racing in Newmarket dates back to around 1636, the time of James I, with the racecourse itself founded in 1636. Around 1665, Charles II inaugurated the Newmarket Town Plate. In 1671, he became the first and only reigning monarch to ride a winner. The first recorded horse race was a match between horses owned by Lord Salisbury and the Marquess of Buckingham in 1622, with a prize of £100. The Jockey Club was founded in 1750, organising the first Jockey Club Stakes, restricted to Jockey Club members. Over the next sixty years, the racing at Newmarket was boosted by several classic races, including the 2000 Guineas in 1809 and the 1000 Guineas in 1814. Between 1915 and 1918, the Derby and Oaks races were also run at Newmarket. Both Newmarket racecourses have grass airstrips for use by light aircraft, and it was taking off from one of these in June 2000 that a Piper Seneca plane carrying jockeys Ray Cochrane and Frankie Dettori crashed, killing the pilot and injuring both jockeys. Cochrane received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in 2002 for saving Dettori's life. The Rowley Mile airstrip was used during the Second World War by the Royal Air Force as RAF Newmarket. The most important races were relocated to the July Course during this period, as it was the only racecourse in the UK that remained operational throughout World War II. Newmarket is one of the busiest racecourses in the UK, hosting 36 race meetings annually between April and November.
Course Access:
By Road: The A11 and A14 provide easy access from the major cities of East Anglia, as well as from the M11 and the A1 / M1, respectively. The postcode for your Sat Nav is CB8 0TF. If you are travelling from London, use the following directions: Merge onto the A11 at junction 9, signposted Newmarket and Norwich. After 10 miles branch left and merge onto the A1304, signposted Newmarket. After 5 miles, take the third exit at the roundabout. Travel along the Cambridge Road for 1 mile, then turn left, following the sign for Rowley Mile Conference Centre. Turn left again, and you will arrive on the Rowley Mile drive.
By Rail: Newmarket railway station is approximately 5 miles away from the racecourse on the Cambridge branch of the Ipswich to Ely line. A free shuttle bus runs to and from the racecourse on racedays. The service runs 2 hours before the first race and 45 minutes before the last race for the return journey.
By Air: The nearest airport to Newmarket Racecourse is Stansted Airport (STN), which is 34 miles away. Norwich Airport (NWI) is 53 miles away, London Heathrow (LHR) is 93 miles away, and Birmingham Airport (BHX) is 102 miles away. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are permitted to land at both the July Course and the Rowley Mile with prior permission. Rating: 10/10.
Parking: There is plenty of free car parking outside the main entrance of the racecourse. There is also dedicated blue badge parking in both the Premier and Public car parks. If assistance is required, car parking attendants can radio for a golf buggy to transport you to your designated entry point. This service cannot accommodate wheelchairs. There are four electric charging points located in the Annual Badge Car Park, situated to the left of the Premier Enclosure at the Rowley Mile. This service is available free of charge during racedays. A taxi rank is located outside the Premier Entrance, at the front of the Annual Badge Holders car park. Rating: 10/10.
Pricing: On the day of our visit, it was a Wednesday afternoon “Two Year Old Day” with six of the seven races on the card being exclusively for horses in their first season of racing. The card consisted of four Class 4 races, two Class 3 races and one Class 2 race. Tickets at the gate were £25.00. However, if booked online in advance, tickets could have been purchased for £10.00 each or £9.00 each for groups of 6 or more. There was also a “Discover Newmarket Tour” ticket for £30.00, which took you behind the scenes and on a full tour of the racecourse. We opted for this option and will explain more about it later in the review. Children aged under 18 get in free if accompanied by an adult.
There was also a hospitality upgrade option of “The Jockey Club Raceday Roast Experience” in the Champions Gallery restaurant for £115.00, which got you admission to the Premier enclosure and restaurant, a two-course roast lunch, tea and coffee, a racecard and waiter service to your table. When we checked online, we also found a buy-one-get-one-half-price offer available for this. In our opinion, the £10.00 tickets, if booked online in advance, are genuinely excellent VFM (Value For Money), and the half-price hospitality option was also well worth having. Rating: 10/10.
Racecard: xxx
Viewing: The overall viewing experience at the Newmarket Rowley Mile Racecourse is good.
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The entire day's racing results can be found here:
Facilities & Location Map Newmarket Racecourse – Rowley Mile: (Image acknowledged & credited to The Jockey Club Ltd.)
Aerial View of Newmarket Racecourses (Image acknowledged & credited to Google Earth)
