Located in 450 acres of beautiful Surrey countryside, on the border with Sussex and Kent, Lingfield Park has a wonderfully storied past, with records for the racecourse itself dating back to the 19th century. The area itself was first recorded as an area of recreation as far back as the 15th century. Today, with racing taking place throughout the year, Lingfield Park Racecourse is one of the busiest racecourses in the country.
1800's
The local area became a popular destination for both Royalty & London socialites in the 1880s following the arrival of the new railway line, with esteemed visitors staying at the newly opened, prestigious Dormans Park Hotel.
Laid out by Mr R C Leigh, Lingfield Park Racecourse itself was opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII), who graciously allowed Lingfield Park to incorporate the Prince of Wales feathers in its official heading – a legacy which proudly remains to this day.
When the racecourse first opened, it was used purely for jump racing but in 1894 it was granted permission to also operate as a flat racing venue.
1900's
The 20th Century saw Lingfield Park begin to really establish itself, with the first ever Derby Trial Stakes run in 1932, followed swiftly by the first Oaks Trial. Nearly a century later, both events still feature annually as some of the most prestigious fixtures in our racing calendar.
The only time Lingfield Park has taken from its busy racing calendar was during World War II, when the War Office requisitioned the estate for use as a prisoner of war internment camp for Italians. The home straight was also used by the Home Guard for practising marches and attacks.
The estate itself continued to evolve in later years, with the owners constructing Lingfield Park Golf Club across the open fields and through the adjacent woodlands in June 1987 (with the exception of the 18th hole, which is called The Horseshoe, the holes were named after famous racehorses). The initial ambition had been to include conference facilities, a motel, swimming pool, tennis and squash courts but these plans were not deemed accessible and thus did not take place.
That same year, planning permission was approved for the installation of the UK’s first artificial racetrack. On 16th November 1989, Lingfield Park’s new Equitrack all-weather racecourse opened, located inside the redesigned turf course. We proudly celebrated the 20th anniversary of our innovative introduction of All-Weather Racing in this country in November 2009.
Arena Leisure PLC acquired Lingfield Park in 1997 and, in 2001, they replaced the original artificial surface with a new, superior surface known as a Polytrack. This new track opened on 13th November 2001 to great praise from trainers, owners, jockeys and officials.
2000’s
Further investment at Lingfield Park has continued into this century. In 2002/2003, the back straight on the turf course was improved, and combined with a £5.5 million investment in the main grandstand and other visitors’ facilities in 2004, this further helped to re-establish Lingfield Park Racecourse as a popular, well-managed, scenic and profitable racecourse.
In 2007, planning permission was approved for a 116-bedroom, 4-star hotel, leisure club, swimming pool, conference and meeting rooms, offices and a new golf academy overlooking the racecourse in the footprint of the old Silks and Marley grandstands. Construction began in May 2008 and that same year, a franchise agreement was reached with Marriott Hotels to create the Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club. The hotel opened on schedule in May 2010 and is a wonderful option for racegoers and guests who want to make the most of their visit to Lingfield Park and the surrounding area.
The existing golf club, which has hosted the Surrey Open, has become aligned with the hotel, with the 18-hole course open to both members and non-members.
In March 2012, Arena Leisure PLC, which owned Lingfield Park & 6 other racecourses in the UK, merged with Northern Racing to create Arena Racing Company. Owning 40% of the UK’s racing fixtures, Arena Racing Company (ARC) also owns Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Fontwell Park, Ffos Las, Great Yarmouth, Hereford, Newcastle, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Windsor, Wolverhampton & Worcester.
