Discover Newmarket, the Home of Horse Racing
A History Rich with Tradition.
Newmarket has been considered the ‘headquarters’ of horse racing since the sport blossomed under Royal patronage during the 17th Century. King James I discovered the land here was ideal for galloping his horses, and the tradition was carried on by his grandson, Charles II, ‘The Merry Monarch’ and it was he who made Newmarket truly fashionable.
The King would often move his court here from London so that, at times, the town was, in all but name, the capital of England. In commissioning Christopher Wren to build a large palace, he also requested a modest dwelling for his famous ‘country mistress’, Nell Gwynn, with a secret tunnel running between the two.
The first recorded race in the town was in 1622, when Lord Salisbury’s charge collected the enormous stake of £100 from the Marquess of Buckingham. Eventually, Newmarket became the home of The Jockey Club, founded in 1750 by a group of some of the most influential gentlemen in the country, all brought together by a shared passion for racing horses.
Today, the town is the largest racehorse training centre in Britain, allied to the largest racehorse breeding centre and home to major British racing institutions including Tattersalls; responsible for listing and selling some of the world’s foremost racehorses, breeding stock and stallions.
Of course, Newmarket is still home to the world famous and exclusive, Jockey Club rooms. Still, principally, a private members club,‘The Rooms’, where only members of the aristocracy were previously allowed to wine and dine, is now a stunning and unique venue and one in which members of our club may expect to sample its unique Georgian elegance from time to time.
Surrounded by equine masterpieces, fine dining here is an absolute privilege.
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Newmarket’s Facilities
Newmarket houses over sixty training yards and two premium racetracks; The Rowley Mile, home of the One andTwoThousand Guineas, and the enchanting July Course, which races most weeks of the Summer and stages the prestigious July Cup. The town is home to over 3500 racehorses, with a further 60 stud farms surrounding the town, housing some of the world’s leading broodmares and stallions, including Frankel, arguably the greatest racehorse ever!
The National Horeracing Museum, formerly resident on the High Street has been relocated to the superbly refurbished palace of the aforementioned King Charles II and was initially renamed as the National Heritage centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art. Since re-christened, thankfully, to Palace House, Newmarket, the exquisitely appointed premises also houses a working yard and has quickly established itself as one of Suffolk’s brightest tourist attractions, nominated for the Art Fund Museum of the Year award in 20I7.
Newmarket is not just the headquarters of racing in Britain but, arguably, in the world, with facilities second-to-none.
There are 2800 acres of heath and woodland devoted to racing and training horses, including 40 miles of turf gallops, I7 miles of artificial gallops and 30 miles of traffic-free walking tracks. Indeed, Newmarket heath is the largest area of tended grassland in the world.
This, is where your Racing Club is based…and, when you join Newmarket Racing Club, you will have the opportunity to visit, and enjoy, all of these landmarks and facilities.
We cannot wait to show you around and help you share in the success of a winning team!
Looking for a business local to the Newmarket area…? Visit our Market Squares
