Go racing this December: the best racedays to visit, from beer festivals to Britain's friendliest track
Your go-to guide to the pick of this month's horse racing fixtures in Britain and Ireland
December is all about tinsel, turkey and top-class racing, with the festive period playing host to big-race jumps action in Britain and Ireland. During a hectic spell for sports fans, featuring a feast of football and darts, there's also plenty of horse racing fixtures to enjoy at Christmas, including high-quality cards at Kempton, Sandown and Leopardstown. December is a busy month in the horse racing calendar in Britain and Ireland, and here's what you can look forward to and how to buy tickets.
December racing highlights in Britain and Ireland
England
North
BECHER CHASE, AINTREE: The Becher Chase is the last race over those famous green fences before April. Experience the thrill of watching Grand National-style racing without having to fight through Grand National-style crowds. It's a marathon contest on soft ground, so bravery and endurance are the qualities required. Saturday, December 7 (Tickets)
ROWLAND MEYRICK CHASE, WETHERBY: The big race may not be quite the contest it was when the north's Gold Cup hopes would routinely battle it out in the 1980s, but Wetherby's Boxing Day card remains a hugely popular festive draw. Thursday, December 26 (Tickets)
Midlands
PETERBOROUGH CHASE, HUNTINGDON: Huntingdon stages its biggest raceday of the season with the highlight being the Peterborough Chase, a Grade 2 test at two and a half miles which features the likes of Best Mate, Edredon Bleu and Monet's Garden on a storied roll of honour. Sunday, December 8 (Tickets)
South
TINGLE CREEK CHASE, SANDOWN: The first Saturday in December is all about speed. The Tingle Creek Chase, named after one of the flashiest, most exuberant of jumpers, is a two-mile whizz around Sandown that reliably identifies who's fastest in the winter game. Past winners include some of the most popular and charismatic chasers of recent years, Altior, Sprinter Sacre, Kauto Star and Moscow Flyer. Saturday, December 7 (Tickets)
DECEMBER GOLD CUP, CHELTENHAM: The highlight on the track is the December Gold Cup, a similar contest to the previous month's Paddy Power Gold Cup which often attracts the same horses. It's been won by big names like Frodon, Monkerhostin, Dublin Flyer and Combs Ditch. This card also includes races specifically intended as trials for the Triumph and the Albert Bartlett at the festival. Saturday, December 14 (Tickets)
CHRISTMAS RACEDAY, ASCOT: "An abundance of seasonal fun for all" is promised by the royal venue. The Long Walk Hurdle is the feature race, a top-class marathon which has been won three times in recent years by that popular old boy, Paisley Park. Saturday, December 21 (Tickets)
KING GEORGE VI CHASE, KEMPTON: For racing fans, Boxing Day is better known as King George day and the main significance of Christmas is that it falls on the eve of jump racing's midwinter championship steeplechase. The big race, the King George VI Chase, is the second most prestigious steeplechase run in Britain. Desert Orchid's unprecedented four wins helped raise the race's profile while other heroes of the winter game like Kauto Star and Best Mate are also on the roll of honour. Thursday, December 26 (Tickets)
Ireland
HATTON'S GRACE HURDLE, FAIRYHOUSE: Day two of Fairyhouse's winter festival might not get the same publicity as some other December fixtures but for concentrated quality of action, there's not much to beat it. There are two consecutive Grade 1s: the Drinmore Novice Chase and the Hatton's Grace, a top-class two-mile hurdle. Sunday, December 1 (Tickets)
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL, LEOPARDSTOWN: Taking place over the four days after Christmas, this is a major sporting event, a festive celebration and an unbeatable Cheltenham Festival preview all rolled into one. For quality and intensity, the racing is arguably second only to Cheltenham and includes the Irish equivalents of all the major yuletide races taking place in Britain. Chief among the races is the Savills Chase, a top-class contest over three miles. The first two horses in last year's race, Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe, went on to be first and second in the Gold Cup. December 26-29 (Tickets)
Scotland
SCOTTISH BORDERS NATIONAL, KELSO: Find out whether Kelso's reputation as one of Britain's friendliest tracks is justified with a trip to see the Scottish Borders National. As well as the big race, this card features a new two-mile handicap chase worth £75,000 which it is hoped fills a gap in the programme for quality horses in the north. The Scottish Borders National is twice as long and sure to provide thrills for those watching from the top of the track's distinctive 200-year-old stone grandstand. Sunday, December 8 (Tickets)
Wales
WELSH GRAND NATIONAL, CHEPSTOW: Two days after Christmas comes Welsh racing's biggest day, with the latest staging of the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow. It's a source of Welsh pride and local trainers have a strong recent record. At eight minutes, the big race is one of the longest in British racing and provides a showcase for the winter virtues of toughness, fortitude and durability. Friday, December 27 (Tickets)
Bargain hunt: this month's best offers for racing tickets
- Packages are available to travelling racegoers for Leopardstown's Christmas Festival, running over four days between December 26-29. The course's official guest partner, Race and Stay, offers hotel accommodation, breakfast, tickets, transport and more, starting from only €159pp, with discounts for longer stays.
- The Berkshire Winter Million is new for 2025 with special passes for the three fixtures over January 17-19. The action takes place at Windsor on day one and three, with Ascot's Clarence House Chase card on day two. Saturday-Sunday passes are priced at £35 with full three-day passes available at £40.
December racing fixtures in Britain and Ireland
Out of the ordinary: five eyecatching events
BEER AND BRUNCH: If you're the type of person who likes to pack in as much as possible into a day, Wetherby's Beer Festival meeting is the place to be. With a morning start time for racing, gates are due to open at 10am, at which point the track promises its baristas and brunch wagons will be "fired up and ready to go".
The festivities are ramped up a notch in the festive beer festival marquee, where the finest Yorkshire beers from a range of local breweries will be served, including Theakstons who will also host a coopering demonstration. Wetherby, December 7 (Tickets)
CHRISTMAS JUMPERS: Give your Christmas jumper an early outing at a jumps course celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Alongside the racing, you can make the day even more enjoyable by entering the festive jumper competition, which gives you the chance to win a prize.
Simply wear or create your best Christmas jumper and the track's spotters will select a winner on the day, and even if you don't win, your jumper will help keep you warm. Fontwell, December 10 (Tickets)
PARTY TIME: There won't be many livelier Christmas Party racedays than this one at the Staffordshire track, which will play host to a sporting legend.
With Christmas Day a mere five days away, the excitement will be building and among the festive fun will be a post-racing DJ set with all your favourite Christmas tunes. That's not all, though, as for an extra gift, racegoers will be able to mingle with snooker legend Dennis Taylor, who will be meeting people throughout the day. Uttoxeter, December 20 (Tickets)
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY: Nicely positioned between Christmas and New Year comes one of Newbury’s big days, with Grade 1 racing in the form of the Challow Hurdle supported by entertainment for all the family.
The designated family day offers a wide range of activities for all age groups, including crafts and face-painting. The track's equine ambassador Mahlervous, a retired racehorse from the Greatwood Charity, is always a big hit with racegoers and will be on site along with a Shetland pony. Don't forget, like all racecourses in Britain, under 18s go free. Newbury, December 28 (Tickets)
FINAL FLING: Blow away the Christmas cobwebs and get ready for the Hogmanay celebrations with Kelso's Festive Fling fixture. This fun raceday features a competitive racing programme followed by an after-party, where you can dance to your favourite festive hits in the owners' marquee.
Kelso has a long-standing reputation as one of Britain's friendliest tracks and what's more, there is no additional charge for the after-party with admission granted via a raceday ticket. Kelso, December 29 (Tickets)
Making a day of it: Ludlow
December is all about good food and good company, so where better to spend a day at the races with friends and family this month than Ludlow, writes Andrew Dietz.
The Shropshire track is a gem of a racecourse for those passionate about jumps racing, with a reputation for offering decent prize-money to its participants and welcoming racegoers from near and far.
One of the many benefits of a day there is the wide range of surrounding attractions to supplement your afternoon at the track.
Accessed by road via the A49 - or by train to Ludlow station (running between Shrewsbury and Hereford) with a free bus service to the course - you have only to turn down the access road to the course to find the perfect place to grab breakfast or morning coffee before racing.
The Ludlow Farm Shop is a local and handmade food retailer offering plenty of places to eat and shop, and just next door is The Clive Arms, a boutique Georgian inn offering food, drink and accommodation.
If you have the time, the town itself is a must-visit with numerous independent shops and eateries and some beautiful historic buildings, including its centrepiece the dramatic medieval Ludlow Castle, perched on a cliff overlooking the River Teme.
The racecourse is also passionate about local procedure and has a variety of reasonably priced food and drink offerings for all budgets.
There are two opportunities to make a day of it this month with fixtures on Wednesday, December 4 and Wednesday, December 18.
The latter meeting is a bit of a local institution with Christmas celebrations on a competitive card, featuring valuable handicaps and sponsored by Tanners Wines for around the last 30 years.
It's a day that shows Ludlow in its best light. The stands are full of local businesses enjoying Christmas parties along with loyal annual members, of which there are many, all here for the racing.
The facilities haven't changed much in recent times and it feels as though you're going back in time – but in a good way. You'll hear the clinking of china in the tea room under the members' stand and the course is full of age-old charm and character at every turn.
The action takes place against the most spectacular backdrop, too, with expansive views out across the Shropshire countryside.
Wrap up warm and make your way to Ludlow, as there's no better time for it. It's even been known for a Christmas tree to be sited near the winning post at this time of year.
Advance tickets start from £17 and can be purchased at ludlowracecourse.co.uk or by calling 01584 856 221, while they are always available on the day at the gates.
Pack the passport: going racing in Hong Kong
If you like to feel that the action in front of you really, really matters to everyone present, Hong Kong racing is for you. The region may be small in size and has just two racecourses but passion for the sport runs deep - crowds are huge and visibly gripped by the action.
Sha Tin is the more glamorous of the two venues. With a capacity of 85,000, it is almost on a par with Wembley for the number of people it can soak up and the raceday experience there is likely to be an eye-opener, even for the most experienced British and Irish racegoers. The parade ring feels like a stadium in itself, with tiered seating and a retractable roof.
While Sha Tin's fixtures are mostly on Sundays through the winter, the older and more centrally located Happy Valley usually stages action on Wednesdays in the evening under floodlights. A buzzing atmosphere generally prevails, with the Hong Kong skyline of tower blocks as a stunning backdrop. The circuit is tight, leading to closely contested finishes.
December brings the most important meeting in all of Asia, when Sha Tin stages Hong Kong International Raceday. Remember the thrilling finish to last year's Hong Kong Cup, in which local hero Romantic Warrior held off Luxembourg and a Japanese raider in a finish of short heads while roars rained down from the towering stands?
Racing in the region is usually restricted to horses based there but the international fixture allows top-class competitors from around the world to chase the excellent prize-money. The Cup itself offers more than £2 million to the winner, making it a really hard pot to win for the visiting runners, though the likes of Snow Fairy, Falbrav, Fantastic Light and Alexander Goldrun have managed it from Europe.
As well as the Cup, there are three other top-class races on the international card: the Sprint (Highfield Princess had a go last year), the Mile and the Vase over 1m4f, in which European runners have an especially strong record. That reliable sort Highland Reel managed to win the Vase twice, while Ouija Board, Collier Hill and Flintshire have also been successful.
If you're minded to make a week of it, there's a raceday featuring international jockeys at Happy Valley. Set for December 4, four days before the Sha Tin fixture, the competition is this year expected to feature Ryan Moore, Hollie Doyle, William Buick and Colin Keane among others.
For those staying in Hong Kong that week, there's a Breakfast With The Stars event early on the morning of December 5 at Sha Tin, at which draws are made for the international races on the following Sunday. Key runners are expected to be stretching their legs on the track.
Package deals to visit international race-week in Hong Kong are popular. Note that no spectators under the age of 18 are allowed at the races in Hong Kong and a dress code is enforced, with details on the website of each racecourse.
Racegoers can also visit the racing museum at Happy Valley (open daily 12-7pm, admission free) while, away from the track, tourists can see Victoria Harbour up close on the Star Ferry or take the tram for the spectacular panoramic view from above at The Peak. Dining at Above & Beyond, for classic and contemporary Chinese dishes, is recommended, as is Bar Leone, voted number one in Time Out's guide to the 50 best bars.
Fly direct to Hong Kong from London Heathrow. A round trip in economy is around £750 with Cathay Pacific. Stay at the Peninsula or Mandarin Oriental for sheer opulence; the Fleming for a boutique feel; or ALVA to be close to the action at Sha Tin.
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