Newbury Racecourse

1906 – National Hunt racing followed flat racing by one year and started in 1906. Nine days of racing were planned – six on the Flat and three over Jumps.

1910 – The racecourse moved to its current location in the Greenham area on the southeast side of Newbury.

1914 to 1918 – During the First World War, the track was utilized as a prisoner-of-war camp for German captives.

1916 to 1919 – The course closed between 1916 and 1918 when used as an inspection depot by the War Office. It only reopened in 1919. 

1940 to 1945 –  The War prevented the substitute Derby, which was planned for Newbury in 1940. Afterward, the racecourse closed between 1941 and 1945 and was left close to ruins after the Second World War when utilized by the Americans as a marshaling yard – twenty-two miles of sidings had left their mark. 

1949 – Geoffrey Freer became Clerk of the Course, and the racing also resumed on All Fools Day in 1949.

1990 – A regular stopping service was introduced for the station after establishing new facilities at the racecourse and constructing a new industrial estate on Hambridge Road. The station initially had four platforms.

1992 – Queen Elizabeth opened the Berkshire Stand.

2000 – The impressive 3-tiered Grandstand was built, which was designed by a British architect, Sir Norman Foster. It became the home to the largest indoor space at Newbury Racecourse.

2006 – One of the first concerts was held at the Racecourse by Welsh reggae-metal band Skindred.

2008 – Newbury Racecourse started to host between 1 and 3 concerts each year, primarily supporting horse racing meets. The concerts have included three appearances by Madness, Tom Jones, Simply Red, and Olly Murs.

2010 – Redevelopment of the racecourse started with new facilities financed by the sale of land for housing, apartments, a children’s nursery, a hotel, and a gym.

2011 – Two horses (Marching Song and Fenix Two) collapsed and died in the Paddock while parading for the first race of the day on February 12, 2011. Another two horses (Kid Cassidy and The Merry Giant) appeared to have been affected. The novice hurdle race went ahead, starting about 20 minutes late, but the rest of the day’s racing was abandoned. The initial investigation results into the incident were released on February 17. The Director of Equine Science and Welfare for the British Horseracing Authority – Professor Tim Morris, reported leakage from an electrical cable under the parade ring.

2012 – Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 86th birthday in the Newbury Racecourse. The company also completed a Joint Venture agreement with David Wilson Homes to establish a significant redevelopment of the racecourse and housing development of 1,500 homes.

2015 – The Newbury Racecourse opened the Lodge Hotel.

2020 –  The racetrack experienced a 68% loss of turnover for the first six months of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020.

2021 – A COVID-19 vaccination center was established at Newbury Racecourse in January 2021. In the same year, Olly Murs performed the first concert at Newbury Racecourse following the COVID-19 pandemic on August 14, with an audience of 17,000. 

2023 – Murs returned to perform at Newbury Racecourse in August 2023, his third appearance at the venue. He performed with a leg brace following a severe knee injury.