Wincanton
Home of the Badger Ale’s Handicap Chase, The Betway Kingwell Hurdle and best known for its Boxing Day meeting, Wincanton is a right handed, flat and essentially sharp track. The course is located in the heart of Somerset and stages 16 racedays from October to May. The course can be described as a sharp test and a fair jumping track that provides good quality racing, particularly the Betway Kingwell Hurdle where many trainers will run their potential Unibet Champion Hurdle horses.
Wincanton represents a proper jumping test, where speed, stamina and accuracy are required in abundance, especially on the chase course. It’s no surprise there have been so many top-class horses winning here over the years as it takes a bit of doing. The hurdles track provides a real speed test in the likes of the Elite and Kingwell hurdles, and both have seen some champion hurdle prospects in recent times. Key feature requirements around here are strong travellers and very good jumpers. The cross fence before turning for home can prove tricky for so many, especially a novice.