Updated 12 February 2025

Cartmel Races Today – Get Cartmel Tips from Lake District Course

Cartmel might not be the busiest course when it comes to the number of meetings, but it is nevertheless one of the most popular in the UK. A trip to Cartmel races today allows punters to combine a trip to the races, along with experiencing the delights of the Lake District Countryside.

We bring you a complete guide to this racecourse, including information on its history, configuration and the big races that our AI algorithms provide Cartmel tips for.

Tips will appear here shortly

History of Cartmel Racecourse

The racecourse can be found in the village of Cartmel, which now lies within Cumbria, but was once a part of Lancashire.

Its origins lie in mule racing, organised by the medieval monks at Cartmel Priory. The first records of proper horse racing date back to 1856, with hound trailing and foot races also taking place at the time.

Until World War II, the racing at Cartmel was sporadic, featuring amateur jockeys, but the programme has slowly expanded and become part of the professional circuit.

Cartmel Racecourse has developed into a holiday track, with its meetings centred around Bank Holiday Weekends during the warmer months of the year. These fixtures attract big crowds, with Cartmel having one of the biggest average attendances in the UK.

In 1974, Cartmel made the headlines when it became the location of a criminal plot. A poorly performing horse called Arctic Chevalier became a ringer for the far superior Gay Future, because both had a similar chestnut appearance.

Gay Future entered in the Ulverston Novice Hurdle at Cartmel and had odds of 10-1. A switch of the two horses was made before the race, allowing the real Gay Future to run at an inflated price.

Cartmel was the ideal location for this scam due to its remote location. With only one phone line at the track at the time, the gang kept the line engaged, so as to ensure that the price did not drop.

With the plot rumbled and bookmakers refusing to pay out, this famous event has since been dramatized in the TV film Murphy’s Stroke in 1980, starring subsequent James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.

Is Cartmel Races Today Jumps or Flat?

Cartmel races today

Cartmel only features hurdle races and steeplechases with meetings taking place between late May through to the end of August, outside of the core National Hunt racing season.

It features a left-handed tight track for jump racing, which is sharp but undulating, with a complete circuit just a mile round. The winning post is on a chute that cuts through the middle of this track.

There are six hurdles on a complete circuit, but for steeplechases a long run-in of half-a-mile. You’ll find four fences down the back of this narrow track, with the first being a water jump and two on the other part of the round course with the second being an open ditch.

With the fences coming in quick succession, jockeys can often become unseated. The half-mile run-in from the last jump is the longest of any racecourse in Britain, so the lead can change with all that way on the flat to the finish.

Racehorses require stamina despite the tight, turning nature of the track for the closing stages. Our tips for Cartmel races today, take account of these factors.

Key Cartmel Races Fixtures

Though there is no racing at the course for much of the year, you will find a regular flow of Cartmel racing tips here at Racing Tipster, throughout the summer. As we mentioned, it operates outside of the core jump race season, between May and August.

The two major meetings at Cartmel, start and finish this period. There are nine separate race day events planned for 2025, split across various weekends across the summer.

All the action begins with a 3-day meeting around the Whitsun Bank Holiday Weekend in late May. It is actually spread across 5 days, with racing taking place during the day on the Saturday and Monday, with an evening race event taking place on the Wednesday.

There is a weekend meeting on the Friday and Sunday in late June, before a Saturday and Monday event in July. Finally, the last event for Cartmel race tips comes in late August.

There is a 2-day meeting on the Bank Holiday Weekend, spread across 3 days, with both hurdle races and steeplechases taking place on the Saturday, which is also often the date of the Ebor Handicap at York, and the Monday.

The Biggest Races We Give Cartmel Tips On

Let’s take a look at some of the feature races for which we provide Cartmel races tips over the summer.

Oakmere Homes Handicap Hurdle

This Class 2 2m 1f handicap hurdle at the end of June features a first prize of £21,000. Fiveonefive was the winner in 2024, having started as the 5/1 joint second-favourite.

Oakmere Homes Handicap Chase

This Class 2 2m 5f handicap chase also takes place at the end of June and is the joint most valuable race along with the Oakmere Homes Handicap Hurdle, with a first prize of £21,000. There were no surprises in this race in 2024, with the 3/1 favourite Charlie Uberalles clinching victory.

Cumbria Crystal Cup Handicap Hurdle

The Cumbria Crystal Cup Handicap Hurdle is a Class 3 0-130 2m 6f handicap hurdle that takes place in July. In a result that upset the Cartmel horse racing tips, the 9/1 shot Sea The Clouds won it in 2024 and the £18,500 first prize with it.

Tony Connell Memorial Handicap Hurdle

Taking place at the Whitsun Meeting, this Class 2 3m 1f staying handicap hurdle has an £18,210 first prize. In 2024, the 100/30 second-favourite Tommie Beau won this race.

Cartmel Female Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

This Class 3 0-125 2m 1f handicap hurdle for female professional and amateur jockeys, takes place at the July meeting. Becky Smith was the winning jockey on Ashington in 2024, landing the £13,000 first prize.

Cavendish Cup Handicap Chase

The August meeting sees this Class 3 0-140 3m 1.5f staying handicap chase take place. It was the 7/4 favourite Tommie Beau that won again on this tight track, taking home the £12,500 first prize, having already enjoyed a previous Cartmel victory in the Tony Connell Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

AF Connell Handicap Hurdle

Also at the August meeting is this Class 2 3m 1f staying handicap hurdle, which features a first prize of £11,000. In 2024, the 4/1 second-favourite City Derby won this race.

Cartmel Cup Handicap Hurdle

Finally, we have this Class 3 0-125 2m 1f handicap hurdle from the August meeting, which features a first prize of almost £10,750. The 2024 race was a thriller, with Calevade just pipping Young Merlin on the line.

FAQs

Is Cartmel races on today?

You can check if there are Cartmel races today by looking at our Racecards section. It lists all the meetings, with information about the various races, runners and tips.

Where is Cartmel Racecourse?

The racecourse is in the village of Cartmel in Cumbria. By road you need to get off at junction 36 of the M6 via the A590. The nearest train station is Cark-in-Cartmel, which is two miles from the course, with shuttle buses running to the track on race days.

Why is Cartmel races cancelled?

Despite the summer schedule, there have been occasions when the racing at Cartmel has been abandoned, due to heavy rain and a waterlogged track. Take a look at our Cartmel tips today and see if racing still goes ahead.

Where can I find tips and Cartmel races results today?

If there are Cartmel races today results and tips will be available right here at Racing Tipster. We have a dedicated racing results section and several different tips sections, including one for today’s tips.

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