Exeter Course Guide

Situated on top of Haldon Hill, Exeter racecourse is considered to be one of the fairest National Hunt tracks in the country. Initially popular as a summer-jumping venue (when the track was officially titled Devon and Exeter) there has been a definite shift towards better quality racing over the last two decades and the course now races from October to May. The excellent drainage and galloping nature of the course make Exeter a popular venue to run a novice chaser.

Highlight of the year is the Haldon Gold Cup, a two and a quarter mile chase run in early November. The race has been won by some of the great names in steeplechasing including Very Promising, Barnbrook Again, Viking Flagship, Best Mate, Edredon Bleu and Azertyuiop.

Jumps Racing

This is a hilly course, galloping in nature. Conditions can get extremely testing in midwinter and the exact opposite in drier periods, the course being without an artificial watering system. Its right-handed two-mile circuit is laid out in a long oval, with eleven fences and a run-in of around 170 yards. The chase course is on the outside of the hurdles one, but the inside track is often used on the home turn regardless of whether the races are over fences or not. The half-mile home straight is on the rise all the way to the finish.

Exeter is a beautiful track - in my opinion definitely one of the best in Britain - and it’s a great place to take a novice chaser. The fences are very fair and the ground is usually lovely. Years ago, they seemed to struggle to water around there, partly, I imagine, because the course covers such a vast expanse of land. But it holds its condition really well now and it’s a great place to ride. It’s a fine test of a horse - really good - and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that so many top trainers like to go there.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Exeter Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 1f 109y	Lulamba (Good to Soft)	17 Nov 2025	4m 7.3s
2m 3f 48y	Neville's Cross (Good to Firm)	07 Oct 2021	4m 35.38s
3m 54y	Red Happy (Good to Firm)	18 Oct 2022	5m 53.9s
3m 6f 153y	Gwencily Berbas (Good)	24 Feb 2023	7m 40.03s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 161y	Star Of Affinity (Good)	10 Oct 2024	3m 57.12s
2m 2f 111y	Gallow Ford (Good to Firm)	22 Apr 2021	4m 19.7s
2m 5f 137y	Outlaw Peter (Good)	04 Nov 2022	5m 13.6s
2m 7f 25y	Singapore Saga (Good to Firm)	22 Apr 2021	5m 38.2s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 5f 38y	Twentyfirst Lancer (Good to Firm)	18 Oct 2022	3m 2.01s
2m 175y	Rose Above It (Good to Firm)	22 Apr 2021	3m 59.9s

Exeter Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
J Scott	26	12	10	£70,634	46.15%	£26.46
J Tizzard	53	10	25	£176,175	18.87%	-£14.91
R Walford	23	6	9	£51,041	26.09%	£5.33
P F Nicholls	24	5	15	£69,182	20.83%	-£11.62
Mrs J Williams	23	4	11	£27,673	17.39%	£1.50
Dan Skelton	19	4	6	£102,612	21.05%	£6.00
N J Henderson	10	4	3	£40,654	40%	£10.40
D Pipe	26	3	8	£27,726	11.54%	-£10.27
C Honour	13	3	5	£21,652	23.08%	£7.75
Miss E C Lavelle	15	3	4	£29,468	20%	£0.50

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
P Hobbs & J White	66	13	22	£62,027	19.7%	£8.48
P F Nicholls	36	9	13	£48,558	25%	-£3.31
J Tizzard	62	7	28	£36,934	11.29%	-£16.50
N J Hawke	39	6	11	£23,063	15.38%	£294.25
H Fry	23	6	7	£28,992	26.09%	-£8.10
Dan Skelton	36	5	10	£37,022	13.89%	-£21.20
K Woollacott	34	4	19	£23,501	11.76%	-£0.25
Mrs J Williams	29	4	17	£22,874	13.79%	-£3.50
Miss E C Lavelle	22	4	10	£17,930	18.18%	-£9.89
J D Frost	25	4	4	£25,086	16%	£17.25

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
P F Nicholls	15	5	6	£16,362	33.33%	-£6.59
Mrs J Williams	5	3	1	£6,534	60%	£28.50
J Tizzard	13	2	5	£11,420	15.38%	£20.50
P Hobbs & J White	7	1	4	£2,178	14.29%	-£7.56
Dan Skelton	7	1	4	£2,112	14.29%	-£6.75
B Pauling	5	1	3	£2,723	20%	£1.50
K Burke	4	1	1	£2,178	25%	£0.00
Katy Price	3	1	1	£2,112	33.33%	£9.00
L Jefford	3	1	1	£2,112	33.33%	£2.50
T H Weston	3	1	1	£2,112	33.33%	£15.00

Exeter Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Bryan Carver	25	8	11	£57,168	32%	£18.05
Lorcan Williams	21	8	7	£49,827	38.1%	£14.62
H Cobden	35	7	17	£112,214	20%	-£12.01
Harry Kimber	26	6	10	£51,041	23.08%	£3.33
Freddie Gingell	16	6	7	£89,801	37.5%	£9.15
Rex Dingle	17	5	8	£36,280	29.41%	-£0.92
Brendan Powell	42	4	19	£84,790	9.52%	-£31.13
James Bowen	18	4	8	£19,936	22.22%	-£0.10
David Noonan	21	3	12	£22,524	14.29%	£0.50
Jack Tudor	24	3	8	£29,838	12.5%	-£9.40

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
H Cobden	49	15	19	£84,056	30.61%	-£3.35
M G Nolan	39	7	12	£33,089	17.95%	£7.15
Bryan Carver	50	7	8	£38,552	14%	-£15.43
Brendan Powell	44	5	18	£23,732	11.36%	-£5.25
David Noonan	42	5	16	£25,858	11.9%	-£6.50
J J Burke	28	5	14	£24,082	17.86%	-£11.17
Harry Skelton	24	5	6	£37,022	20.83%	-£3.20
Freddie Gingell	26	4	12	£21,652	15.38%	-£5.75
Harry Kimber	32	3	14	£20,332	9.38%	-£6.50
Sean Houlihan	45	3	12	£19,267	6.67%	-£33.43

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
H Cobden	9	4	4	£14,184	44.44%	£22.32
Lorcan Williams	6	2	1	£4,356	33.33%	-£1.40
David Noonan	5	2	0	£4,356	40%	£22.00
Brendan Powell	11	1	4	£9,242	9.09%	-£2.50
Harry Skelton	5	1	3	£2,112	20%	-£2.75
Freddie Gingell	6	1	2	£2,178	16.67%	-£5.64
M G Nolan	5	1	2	£2,178	20%	-£3.56
Thomas Bellamy	4	1	2	£2,178	25%	-£1.00
C Gethings	3	1	1	£2,178	33.33%	£13.00
Kielan Woods	2	1	1	£2,723	50%	£4.50