At The Races

Stratford

The home of Hunter Chasing in Britain, staging more races of that kind than any other course, the most prestigious being the Intrum Justita Champion Hunters’ Chase — formerly the Horse & Hound Gold Cup — at the end of May. The race is the third leg of the Hunters’ triple crown after the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters and has been won by the likes of Flying Ace, Three Counties, Castle Mane and Teeton Mill. The course itself is sharp and flat, meaning that stamina is not as essential as fast, accurate jumping and the ability to handle tight bends (horses that have form at Newton Abbot often tend to also run well here). The second last, just after the home turn, is a real “jockey’s” fence which Tony McCoy has perfected — instead of trying to cut the corner on the turn he often moves wide to allow his horse more time to get balanced on the approach to this obstacle.

Click here to watch the video of our visit to Stratford