It is well known that Newmarket is referred to as ‘The Home of Horseracing’. There is a long list of well-known, and indeed, well-deserved reasons for this, but not as many people know where it all began – the Town Plate.
Newmarket’s Town Plate is widely recognised as the first recorded horserace in history to be run with a specific set of rules and therefore it is regarded as the birth of modern organised horseracing. The race was instigated by King Charles II in 1666 meaning that 2016 marked 350 years of horseracing in the town. The racing-mad monarch stated that the Town Plate should be run “forever” and it still is to this day, on the very same course!
To this day, King Charles II remains the only monarch to have won this unique race. In it’s current form, the Town Plate is still run over the traditional distance of a little over three miles and sees the field start from the course on The National Stud land before making their way around onto the July Course proper.
Another interesting element to the Town Plate is the fact that it is limited to amateur riders and that there is no real prize money involved. Rather the entrants are rewarded with a box of the famous Newmarket sausages and a voucher for Goldings, one of the local outfitters on the High Street.
Taking part, let alone winning the Town Plate, is no mean feat in itself and requires a definite level of fitness. It’s a truly wonderful spectacle and provides one of the highlights of the racing calendar.
To find out more about the July Course and how you can visit, click here. You could also visit the July Course on one of our Race Day Tours, click here to see what the day entails.
