Hamilton Park Racecourse
Introduction
Hamilton Park racecourse is situated in the Lanarkshire town of Hamilton, some ten miles south of Glasgow. The course, compared by some to Goodwood, is an undulating right handed loop with a five furlong run-in and an uphill finish.
History
Racing at Hamilton dates back to 1782, with the present course having been in use since 1926. It made history on 18th July 1947 when it played host to the first ever evening race meeting in the UK and again on 8 May 1971 when the first ever morning meeting was held there.
Financial problems plagued the enterprise in the 1950s and 60s and it was good news when, in 1973, it was taken over by a trust which reinvests all its profits into improving the racecourse. A recent £2.5 million injection of cash has resulted in excellent facilities at the racecourse.
Hamilton Park Racecourse
Fixtures and Tickets
Hamilton Park hosts 19 race meetings between May 4th and September 1st. For full details of all fixtures see the appropriate page of the official website.
Super Six
For the Club enclosure, ticket prices range from £15 to £26, depending on whether you book ahead or pay on the day and whether you opt for the Five Star package available to groups (see below for more details). For the Grandstand, prices start at £15 and rise to £26.
Autumn Finale
Tickets range from £13 to £30 for the Club Enclosure and £13 to £22 for the Grandstand.
Themed Race nights
The racecourse is treated as a single enclosure for the popular themed race nights and tickets start at £13, rising to £19.
Group discounts
Numerous discounts are available, depending on the size of group, fixture and whether you want to sit in the Club Enclosure or Grandstand.
Individual discounts
For senior citizens and students, a discount of £3 is given for pre-booked tickets and £4 for tickets purchased on the day.
Five Star and Five Star Plus packages
For groups of six or more, packages are available to include admission badge, racing guide, programme voucher, drinks voucher and betting voucher. The Five Star Plus package includes all of this plus a burger from the barbecue.
Annual and Seasonal membership
For those attending Hamilton Park on a regular basis, an Annual Membership makes financial sense. As well as entry to each fixture, members receive a free car parking pass, 10 guest vouchers giving a discount of £5 on the entry price, over 20 reciprocal days racing at other courses, and exclusive use of a members’ bar with subsidised prices. For keen race goers who do not want the other extras offered by the Annual Membership, the Seasonal Membership package may be of interest. The Family Membership allows two adults from the same family to share membership.
- Single Annual Membership - £199
- Junior Annual Membership (17 to 21) - £150
- Corporate Membership - £430 plus VAT
- Single Seasonal Membership - £150
- Family Seasonal Membership - £250
For full conditions and an application form see the website.
Eating, Drinking and Dress Code
There is a good selection of venues to eat and drink, from the formal Dukes Restaurant to the more casual Conservatory Bistro, which also has a family menu. The Cats Bar serves sandwiches and snacks, whilst at some of the fixtures there is a barbecue on the Paddocks Lawn. There is a good choice of bars, including the Silks Bar which serves champagne.
There is no dress code apart from on Ladies Night, when smart dress is encouraged (including hats for ladies).
Directions
By Road
Hamilton Park has good road links from the M74 and M8 motorways.
From Glasgow and the West
Leave the M74 at Junction 5, take the Hamilton exit at the roundabout and follow the brown signs to the racecourse.
From Edinburgh and the East
From the M8/A8, take the Bellshill/East Kilbride exit (A725). Follow signs to the M74, leave at Junction 5, taking the Hamilton exit at the roundabout and follow the brown signs to the racecourse.
From Carlisle and the South
Take the A74 and M74 from Carlisle and leave at Junction 5. Take the Hamilton exit at the roundabout and follow the brown signs to the racecourse.
By Train
The nearest station is Hamilton West, which is a 15 minute walk from the racecourse. There is a regular service from Glasgow Central to Hamilton West. If travelling from further afield, there is a good service to Glasgow Central from other parts of Scotland, London Euston and Yorkshire.
By Air
The racecourse is only 21 miles from Glasgow Airport, 33 from Edinburgh and 36 from Prestwick.
Contacts
Address
Bothwell Road
Hamilton
Lanarkshire
Scotland
ML3 0DW
Tel: 01698 458132
Fax: 01698 458935
Web: Hamilton Park Official Website