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33-679: Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse in a hilly area near Epsom in Surrey , England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing . The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs . The course has a crowd capacity of 130,000 including people watching from the Epsom Downs , an area freely open to the public. The course is best known for hosting the Derby Stakes, which has come to be widely referred to as The Derby or as

66-512: A racecourse , is a nonpermanent track for sports, particularly road running , water sports , road racing , or rallying . Many sports usually held on race tracks also can occur on temporary tracks, such as the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix in Formula One . Some evidence remains of racetracks being developed in several ancient civilizations. The most developed ancient race tracks were

99-477: A half and Tattenham Corner was introduced. Henry Dorling , step-father to cookery writer Mrs Beeton , was a Clerk of the Course at Epsom, appointed in 1840. In 1913 the suffragette Emily Davison threw herself in front of King George V 's horse Anmer , bringing him down. Davison was badly injured and died four days later. In 1952 the racecourse was featured extensively in the film Derby Day set around

132-427: A short course and a longer course which uses part of the shorter one, usually the main straight, such as Brands Hatch . The Le Mans road race venue is centred on a smaller permanent circuit within its complex. Surfaces include: Race tracks are primarily designed for road racing competition through speed, featuring defined start-finish lines or posts, and sometimes even a series of defined timing points that divide

165-569: Is Nardò where high-speed manufacturer testing often takes place, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Some oval tracks are variations on an oval shape, for practical reasons or to introduce varying difficulties such as Talladega (a tri-oval). Most race tracks have meandering circuits with many curves, chicanes and changes in height, to allow for a challenge in skill to the competitors, notably motocross and touring car racing – these tend to predominate throughout most of

198-646: Is a permanent facility or building. Racecourse is an alternate term for a horse racing track, found in countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. Race tracks built for bicycles are known as velodromes . Circuit is a common alternate term for race track, given the circuit configuration of most race tracks, allowing races to occur over several laps. Some race tracks may also be known as speedways , or raceways . A race course , as opposed to

231-453: Is in a public area, people can watch the Derby free, and this meant that the Derby used to be the most attended sporting event of the year. It presents a stern challenge for inexperienced horses and a true test of stamina for those that might previously have contested the 2,000 Guineas Stakes over a mile (1600 m). Unusually, the racecourse is not a circuit but is roughly U-shaped with chutes for

264-484: Is in north Surrey , England, the name is principally associated with Epsom Racecourse . The railway station of the same name is in the Tattenhams ward of Reigate and Banstead Borough. Tattenham Corner refers to the sharp bend in the track at the eastern (upper) part of Epsom Racecourse and in its immediate vicinity of Tattenham Corner railway station . The racecourse itself and a short length of road between

297-411: Is likely that racing was established much earlier than that. Epsom is referenced in the diary of Samuel Pepys in 1663 and Charles II is said to have been a racegoer there. By 1684, Epsom had a clerk of the course and from 1730 was hosting twice yearly race meetings. At Epsom on 3 May 1769 the famous racehorse Eclipse had the first of his many victories in an undefeated career on the turf. In

330-431: Is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free). Homes, mostly split between the three main types of houses with gardens are predominantly of early twentieth-century origin. The fourth category of homes here, apartments range in date from the late-twentieth to the early twenty-first centuries. Tattenham Corner railway station is where Queen Elizabeth II used to be dropped off by

363-949: The Earl of Derby created a horse-racing course on his estate at Epsom; the English Derby continues to be held there today. Racecourses in the British Isles are based on grass, known as turf tracks. In the United States, the race tracks are soil. With the advent of the automobile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, race tracks were designed to suit the nature of powered machines. The earliest tracks were modified horse-racing courses. Racing automobiles in such facilities began in September 1896, at Narragansett Park in Cranston, Rhode Island . The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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396-719: The Monaco GP , and the Circuit de la Sarthe circuit in Le Mans , France. These are not permanent facilities built for racing (although parts of the Circuit de la Sarthe are purpose-built, and closed to the public). After World War II , many wartime airfields, particularly in Great Britain, were left without further use. This coincided with a post-war boom in motorsport, and many airfields were converted to race tracks, where

429-759: The hippodromes of the Ancient Greeks and the circuses ( circi ) of the Roman Empire . Both of these structures were designed for horse and chariot racing. The stadium of the Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome could hold 200,000 spectators. Racing facilities existed during the Middle Ages , and records exist of a public racecourse being opened at Newmarket , in London, in 1174. In 1780,

462-415: The 1952 Epsom Derby. In 2009 the racecourse opened the new Duchess's Stand. It has a capacity of 11,000 and has a 960 m (10 000 sq ft) hall. It can be used for banqueting, conferences and exhibitions. The estimated cost of the new stand, which was built by Willmott Dixon , was £23.5 million. On 4 June 2011, in their first public outing since returning from their Seychelles honeymoon, Prince William, now

495-611: The Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies , over a mile and a half (2400 m). It also hosts the Oaks Stakes (also widely referred to as The Oaks ) for three-year-old fillies, and the Coronation Cup for horses aged four years and upwards. All three races are Group 1 races and run over the same course and distance. The Chairman of

528-552: The Prince of Wales , and his wife, Catherine , (along with the late Queen , William's brother, Prince Harry , and Catherine's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton ) attended the 2011 Epsom Derby at the track. In 2022 the main stand of the racecourse, previously been known as The Queen's Stand, was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Stand. The racecourse is between Epsom , Tadworth and Langley Vale . As it

561-509: The area was built up. The railways arrived in the area. On 4 June 1913 Emily Davison obtained two flags bearing the suffragette colours of purple, white and green from the WSPU offices; she then travelled by train to Epsom , Surrey, to attend the Derby . She positioned herself in the infield at Tattenham Corner, the final bend before the home straight . At this point in the race, with some of

594-533: The circuit layout usually combined parts of the runways and the surrounding perimeter taxiways. The famous British track at Silverstone is a former Class A airfield , as are Castle Combe and Goodwood . The long runways were perfect for drag strips such as at Santa Pod Raceway . This type of track also appears on the popular motoring show Top Gear , which is filmed at Dunsfold Aerodrome , in Surrey, United kingdom Tattenham Corner Tattenham Corner

627-418: The collision and partly rolled over his jockey, who had his foot momentarily caught in the stirrup. Davison was knocked to the ground unconscious; some reports say she was kicked in the head by Anmer, but the surgeon who operated on Davison stated that "I could find no trace of her having been kicked by a horse". Bystanders rushed onto the track and attempted to aid Davison and Jones until both were taken to

660-518: The course since 2022 is Brian Finch. The course is owned by the Jockey Club . Queen Elizabeth II attended the Derby in most years of her reign. The first recorded race was held on the Downs in 1661, although a local burial list of 1625 refers to "William Stanley who in running the race fell from his horse and brake his neck" and in some sources racing is recorded as dating from the 1640s, so it

693-657: The five-furlong course have included 53.6 s (hand-timed) by Indigenous in 1960 and 53.70 s (electrically timed) by Spark Chief in 1983. Racehorse trainers based in the local area include Simon Dow and Laura Mongan . The racecourse is served by the Epsom Downs station as well as Tattenham Corner station , which is where the British monarch alights from the Royal Train on race days. 51°18′35″N 0°15′20″W  /  51.30972°N 0.25556°W  / 51.30972; -0.25556 Racecourse A racetrack

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726-443: The former manor site there. Tattenhams has an established Church of England parish . The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%. The proportion of households who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining %

759-399: The horses having passed her, she ducked under the guard rail and ran onto the course; she may have held in her hands one of the suffragette flags. She reached up to the reins of Anmer— King George V 's horse, ridden by Herbert Jones —and was hit by the animal, which would have been travelling at around 35 miles (56 km) per hour, four seconds after stepping onto the course. Anmer fell in

792-406: The nearby Epsom Cottage Hospital . Davison was operated on two days later, but she never regained consciousness; while in hospital she received hate mail. She died on 8 June from a fracture at the base of her skull . Tattenhams is a residential area centered on the road Great Tattenhams (B2221). It largely coincides with the Tattenhams ward of Reigate & Banstead borough. It is bounded to

825-426: The same track, or incorporating many tracks in one venue. Commonly, running tracks are incorporated within general use or soccer stadiums, either permanently visible or covered by stands or pitches. Many horse and motorsport tracks are configurable, allowing different routes or sections. Some venues contain smaller tracks inside larger ones, with access tunnels and bridges for spectators. Some racetracks incorporate

858-493: The south by the Preston Estate, to the south-west by Tadworth, to the west by Walton Downs and Epsom Downs, to the north by Nork and to the east by Banstead . Elevations range between 180 m AOD (above sea level) at its south-east corner and 140 m along most of the northern border. The ward also includes, at its east end and some way from Tattenham Corner, a small area known as Great Burgh , which usually refers only to

891-422: The start of sprint races over five, six and seven furlongs. The Derby course features an ascent to the top of the hill followed by a wide, sweeping left turn ( Tattenham Corner ) as the horses descend towards the straight. The half-mile straight is mainly downhill, with a final sharp ascent in the last hundred yards. Thus the times for the sprint races tend to be much faster than those on flatter tracks. Clockings for

924-455: The station and the course are in the borough of Epsom & Ewell . The local residential area is in Tattenhams ward of Reigate & Banstead . The area is on the northern slope of the North Downs . It was formerly used largely for cattle pasture, sheep farming and wood gathering. By the 1770s, Tattenham Corner was the established name for the top section of the relatively new Epsom Racecourse on Epsom Downs . Between 1850 and 1950 much of

957-449: The summer of 1779 Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby , organised a race for himself and his friends to race their three-year-old fillies . He named it the Oaks after his nearby estate. The race became so successful that in the following year 1780 a new race was added for three-year-old colts and fillies—- the Derby . In 1784 the course was extended to its current distance of a mile and

990-574: The track into time sectors. A racetrack for cars (i.e. a car track) is a closed circuit, instead of a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads . Race tracks can host individual or team sports. Racetracks can feature rolling starts , or fixed starts, with associated equipment (starting blocks, cages, wheel traps etc.) They invariably feature a pit lane , and usually timing equipment. Some car tracks are of an oval shape, and can be banked, which allows almost universal spectator views or high speed racing (cycling, stock cars). A famous one

1023-548: The way of permanent infrastructure other than the track; others incorporate spectator facilities such as grandstands , hospitality or facilities for competitors, such as pit lanes and garages, paddocks and stables. Several racetracks are incorporated into larger venues or complexes, incorporating golf courses, museums, hotels, and conference centres. Some racetracks are small enough to be contained indoors, for sports such as motocross , track cycling , and athletics . Many racetracks are multi-use, allowing different types of sport on

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1056-709: The world, but especially in Europe. Flatter meandering motorsport courses are sometimes called 'road circuits', originating in the fact that the earliest road racing circuits were simply closed-off public roads. Some car racetracks are specifically configured in a long straight, namely drag racing . True road circuits are still in use, e.g. the Australian GP has been run in Adelaide and continues to be in Melbourne on regular city streets. The most famous of these are

1089-623: Was opened in August 1909. Beginning in the early 1900s, motorcycle races were run on high, banked, wooden race tracks called board tracks . During the 1920s, many of the races on the AAA Championship circuit were run on such board tracks. Modern racetracks are designed with spectator safety being paramount, following incidents of spectator and track marshals fatalities. These often involve run-off areas, barriers, and high fencing. Racetracks are used for: Some racetracks offer little in

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