With 15 high-quality race meetings each year, Taunton Racecourse is one of the newest additions to the circuit. A one-mile-long oval track, the course has both fences and open ditches and hosts National Hunt racing.
Taunton Races
Taunton Racecourse
Taunton Racecourse
Horse racing has been taking place in and around Taunton since the 18th century with Taunton Racecourse hosting its first race meeting in 1927. The track has come a long way since then, when early races were viewed from a basic wooden hut surrounded by muddy puddles. The track received another boost when the nearby M5 was built, with displaced soil from the motorway being used to extend the bends on the course. Most of the racing in Taunton takes place in the winter months when the softer ground makes it less dangerous for horses and jockeys.
Most of the big races take place on the weekend, but there are several mid-week meets during the year. The Greyhound Inn is the perfect place to stock up on food and drink during your trip, while the Paddock Stand has full dining and bar facilities offering panoramic views across the track.
The racecourse is a multifaceted event space as well, regularly holding weddings and Christmas parties, and has even hosted car and caravan rallies across its 135-acre space. There are over 1,000 on-site parking spaces and the course is only 10 minutes’ drive from Taunton town centre and our Taunton Ruishton hotel.