Hereford Course Guide

Racing returned to Hereford after a four year hiatus in October 2016. The course, which is within walking distance of the town centre, has always been a popular track for the powerful West Country and Lambourn trainers to send horses to learn their trade.

Both Star de Mohaison and Mighty Man won Novices’ Hurdles at the track before landing glory at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals respectively whilst 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup hero State of Play also won a Hereford Novices’ Hurdle.

The course has also provided some racing firsts, in December 1991 Paul Nicholls saddled Olveston to victory, his first winner as a trainer and in April 1994 and Richard Johnson rode Rusty Bridge to victory in a Hunters’ Chase, providing the jockey with his first career win.

Jumps Racing

Hereford's right-handed circuit of about a mile and a half is almost square and has nine fences, of which the first after the winning post is taken on a turn. The home turn, which is on falling ground, is pretty sharp but the other bends are easy. Races have a tendency to be well run and the ground can get very testing in mid-winter. The course restarted racing in October 2016 after a four-year hiatus.

It’s great see Hereford staging meetings again, because it’s a track close to my heart. I rode my second-ever winner there, before partnering some horses around what has always been a very fair course. Whatever you’re on, over hurdles or fences, you need to be travelling nicely before the home turn because, if you’re not, others will get away from you once you start the downhill run into the home straight. You certainly don’t want to get too far behind at that stage. The final fence can be tricky and there used to be a fair few horses making mistakes there. After it – and after the last hurdle too – the track seems to widen out, which tends to make some horses wander. There’s a relatively short run-in but, because of the way the course opens out on you, it can sometimes seem like an eternity on a runner that’s getting a bit tired or looking around

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Hereford Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 8y	Centara (Good)	09 May 2025	3m 49.22s
2m 2f 208y	Yggdrasil (Good to Soft)	27 Feb 2022	4m 44.4s
2m 4f 194y	Lelant (Good)	13 Oct 2025	5m 1.27s
3m 1f 44y	Can't Beat History (Good to Firm)	17 Oct 2023	6m 12.7s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 53y	Stay If U Want To (Good)	07 May 2024	3m 48.06s
2m 3f 147y	Big Blue Moon (Good)	07 May 2024	4m 37.3s
2m 5f 163y	Hidden Depths (Good to Firm)	12 Oct 2021	5m 9.21s
3m 1f 119y	Presenting Yeats (Good to Firm)	12 Oct 2021	6m 3.47s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 53y	My Mate Aj (Good)	16 Apr 2026	3m 45.81s

Hereford 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
Evan Williams	43	6	16	£22,392	13.95%	-£11.59
M Sheppard	22	6	9	£23,131	27.27%	£13.50
W Greatrex	17	5	9	£21,177	29.41%	£4.38
Christian Williams	22	4	8	£12,992	18.18%	-£6.42
J Tizzard	14	4	3	£22,499	28.57%	£2.70
Dan Skelton	11	4	3	£20,205	36.36%	£3.00
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	13	3	9	£14,259	23.08%	£0.50
D Pipe	9	3	5	£41,668	33.33%	£10.50
Jamie Snowden	10	3	4	£14,100	30%	-£4.13
H D Daly	12	3	2	£17,374	25%	-£3.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N P Mulholland	35	11	10	£38,784	31.43%	£1.88
N J Henderson	24	10	6	£46,719	41.67%	£11.30
Evan Williams	66	6	21	£22,069	9.09%	-£42.50
Jonjo & A J O'Neill	43	6	20	£26,612	13.95%	-£35.88
Jamie Snowden	27	6	15	£29,681	22.22%	-£6.90
A King	26	6	9	£25,171	23.08%	-£7.43
Dan Skelton	32	6	8	£22,196	18.75%	-£15.32
Dr R Newland & J Insole	13	6	3	£26,719	46.15%	£0.33
K Woollacott	12	6	3	£25,647	50%	£17.45
Miss E C Lavelle	32	5	19	£21,437	15.63%	-£2.63

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
B Pauling	10	4	4	£9,804	40%	£10.55
Jonjo & A J O'Neill	7	2	4	£6,535	28.57%	£3.73
P F Nicholls	6	2	1	£5,065	33.33%	-£0.20
J Tizzard	4	2	0	£6,372	50%	£13.33
T Symonds	11	1	7	£2,451	9.09%	£14.00
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	11	1	3	£2,451	9.09%	-£8.90
Miss H C Knight	5	1	3	£2,614	20%	£4.00
D Pipe	3	1	2	£2,451	33.33%	-£0.13
T H Weston	10	1	1	£3,921	10%	-£4.00
A Ralph	7	1	1	£2,451	14.29%	-£0.50

Hereford 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
James Bowen	30	8	12	£41,075	26.67%	£12.63
Stan Sheppard	20	5	8	£19,725	25%	£7.00
Brendan Powell	15	5	4	£24,003	33.33%	£13.00
Adam Wedge	26	4	10	£14,444	15.38%	-£1.00
Jack Tudor	19	4	7	£19,118	21.05%	-£0.05
G Sheehan	14	4	7	£17,348	28.57%	-£4.63
S Bowen	18	4	5	£16,054	22.22%	-£1.55
Sam Twiston-Davies	23	3	12	£12,965	13.04%	-£8.50
David Noonan	17	3	5	£14,259	17.65%	£1.50
Lee Edwards	7	3	1	£11,512	42.86%	£12.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Thomas Bellamy	44	11	19	£47,225	25%	£1.44
H Cobden	24	11	7	£49,374	45.83%	£6.27
James Bowen	38	7	14	£27,366	18.42%	-£8.59
N de Boinville	13	7	3	£28,333	53.85%	£23.89
Stan Sheppard	39	6	19	£29,543	15.38%	-£26.61
Sam Twiston-Davies	34	6	15	£25,371	17.65%	-£22.49
R Patrick	37	6	13	£34,207	16.22%	-£12.81
G Sheehan	34	5	18	£22,287	14.71%	-£17.43
Jonjo O'Neill Jr.	27	5	14	£22,419	18.52%	-£22.38
Charlie Deutsch	29	5	13	£18,980	17.24%	-£10.33

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Callum Pritchard	4	3	1	£7,353	75%	£11.55
Thomas Bellamy	8	2	2	£4,902	25%	-£0.25
Dylan Johnston	5	2	1	£4,902	40%	£0.36
Bradley Harris	2	2	0	£5,065	100%	£16.00
Benjamin Poste	15	1	8	£2,451	6.67%	£10.00
James Bowen	10	1	4	£2,614	10%	£3.00
Ben Jones	7	1	3	£3,921	14.29%	-£1.00
Sam Twiston-Davies	7	1	3	£2,451	14.29%	-£4.90
Jonjo O'Neill Jr.	6	1	3	£2,451	16.67%	-£2.00
Brendan Powell	6	1	2	£2,451	16.67%	-£1.67