Our annual visit to the Cheltenham Festival Trials meeting coupled with a local stable visit has proved a popular event in previous years. This year we are visiting Charlie Longsdon, at his stables near Chipping Norton.

The coach will depart from Newbury Racecourse (car park 2) at 07:45am for the stable visit. We will leave Charlie’s stable for Cheltenham in good time for the first race. The stable visit starts at 09:15am.

Pricing:
- Coach & stable visit - £24
- Coach, stable visit & discounted race admission ticket - £49 (admission ticket priced at £30 on the day)

This trip is dependant on there being sufficient uptake to make it finanically viable.

If any members wish to make their way independently to Charlie Longsdon stable to join the visit, they should contact Kathy Tuggey.

Booking form is available in the November’s newsletter.

This year’s West Berkshire Racing Club's team Quiz will take place on Tuesday, 5th February 2019. The quiz will start at 19:30pm.

Teams are restricted to 12 tables of four made up of contestants from the local racing community as well as established favourites from further afield.

Teams of four, entry fee £10 per team for Injured Jockeys Fund.

To enter your team contact Bernard Mills on 0208 394 1107 or email bern.mills@btinternet.com

Update 21/02/2019: There is limited availability for this stable visit. If you wish to attend this stable visit, please call or email Kathy Tuggey. Kathy’s contact details can be found in February’s newsletter, which be found under the ‘Members Area’.

We our pleased to announce that we will be visiting Neil King and his team at Barbury Castle on Tuesday, 26th February 2019. The stable visit will start at 10am.

After the visit, we'll be visiting the ‘Silks on the Downs’ for brunch.

If you would like to book your place on this trip, please complete the application form in December’s newsletter.

Please note, due to the size of the yard, we can only cater for a maxiumum of 25 members for this stable visit. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

HOW TO GET THERE: Leave Newbury on the A339 and join the A34. Take the exit towards Chieveley and then join the M4 westbound towards South Wales.  Leave the M4 at Junction 15 signed Marlborough/Swindon at the roundabout turn left towards Marlborough. After approx one mile turn right at Chiseldon onto the B4005. In Chiseldon turn right and follow signs for Barbury Castle / Wroughton. At next junction turn left and you will pass a new housing development on the right.  Continue on this road for around 2 miles and you will arrive at Burderop. [SN4 0QH]

The club is sponsoring a race at Newbury, on Friday, 1st March 2019.

The West Berkshire Racing Club Handicap is scheduled to be run at 5pm.

We look forward to as many members as possible joining us in Suites 407/408, which are based in the Berkshire Stand, where drinks and snacks will be provided.

All Newbury members and Premier badge holders will be able to access the facility from 12pm onwards. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Our ever popular Cheltenham Festival Preview Evening will take place on Thursday, 7th March 2019 at 8pm.

Venue: Owners and Trainers bar, Newbury Racecourse

Panel: Lee McKenzie (chairperson); Mike Cattermole; Seamus Mullins; James Burn (Racing Post) & Lizzie Kelly.

A pay bar and raffle (in aid of the IJF) will be available on the evening.

Doors will open at 7.15pm. Event starts at 8pm.

When accessing Newbury racecourse, please use the Hambridge Road entrance. Post Code: RG14 7PN. Parking is available outside the Lodge Hotel.

Entrance Fee: £3 for West Berkshire Racing Club members. £7 for NON members of the West Berkshire Racing Club.

The West Berkshire Racing Club will be visiting Dan Skelton & his team on Thursday, 28th March 2019. Start time: 09:45am. After the visit, we'll be visiting a local pub for brunch.

Dan has worked with horses for his whole life and spent nine years as Assistant Trainer to Champion National Hunt Trainer Paul Nicholls. Now, with that invaluable experience under his belt, he has embarked on his own training career and concluded his first season’s training with 27 winners under his belt, including Willow’s Saviour’s memorable victory in the 2013 Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot.

The booking form for this stable visit will be available in February’s newsletter.

Update 18/04/2019: Please note that this stable visit will now start at 09:30am and NOT 10am, as previously advertised. Please arrive no later than 09:15am.

Update 05/03/2019: Due to a high number of applications, this stable visit is now fully booked. However, if you wish to be placed on a waiting list, please contact Kathy Tuggey.

The West Berkshire Racing Club are pleased to announce that we’ll be visiting Ralph Beckett and his team on Tuesday, 23rd April 2019. Start time: 9:15am for a 09:30am start.

Ralph started as stable lad in 1989, spending a year in Australia working for Colin Hayes and others. He then did two seasons with Jimmy Fitzgerald, a summer in Belmont, New York, and two and a half years with Arthur Moore. After a season with Martin Pipe, he went to work for Peter Walwyn as his assistant in 1996.

Ralph took over from Peter in 2000, training 105 winners from Windsor House in Lambourn. His best performer whilst there was the G3 Fred Darling winner Penkenna Princess, who was a short-head second in the 2005 Irish 1000 Guineas. Come On Jonny won The November Handicap the same year. Whitsbury Manor’s Landlord Chris Harper asked him to go there for the 2006 season, replacing David Elsworth, trainer of Desert Orchid and Persian Punch.

After the stable visit, we’ll be visiting The White Horse in East Cholderton for brunch.

The application form for this stable visit will be in February’s newsletter.

More details to follow.

The West Berkshire Racing Club will be visiting Paul Nicholls and his team on Thursday, 9th May 2019.

For more information, please see February’s newsletter.

The West Berkshire Racing Club will once again be amongst the sponsors for this meeting.

Our AGM will take place on Wednesday, 22nd May 2019 at 19:30pm.

We are delighted that John Blake, CEO of Racing To School, will be joining us after our short AGM. John is very entertaining and inspirational about getting young people involved in racing.

Entrance to the AGM is FREE, however, if you wish to stay for our social event afterwards, the entrance fee is £2 per member and £5 for non-members.

The West Berkshire Racing Club will be visiting Gary Moore and his yard on Wednesday, 5th June 2019.

More information and the booking form will be available in March’s newsletter.

The Windsor evening meeting on Monday, 01st July is a Newbury reciprocal meeting, so hopefully a number of WBRC members will be planning to go. If so, why not bring your picnic and join us in the car park before racing? We plan to congregate in the right hand corner of the members car park closest to the river. This is close to the pier where racegoers arriving by boat disembark.
The gates are open at 4.00 pm, and the first race is scheduled for 6.00 pm, so we aim to arrive from 4.30 pm onwards.

Please remember to bring your picnic, and something to sit on! In addition to the 7 races, there is music after racing from the ‘Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club’, so weather permitting, it should be a fantastic night.

We look forward to seeing as many members as possible there. If anyone is struggling to locate us, please contact David Lees. David’s telephone number can be found in the newsletter.

The West Berkshire Racing Club are delighted to be visiting Trinity Park Stud on Wednesday, 17th July at 10:30am.

The booking form is available is available in May’s newsletter.

Please meet in the car park, as a group before the start of the visit.

Update 4th August 2019: We have received a high number of bookings for this stable visit. As a result, this stable visit is now fully booked.

The West Berkshire Racing Club will be Visit Jamie Osborne and his team on Wednesday, 4th September. The stable visit will start at 09:30am.
The visit will include both Jamie’s training yards where he stables 2 and 3 year olds as well as some older horses, and hopefully a visit to gallops.

The stable’s most prominent success was Toast of New York (now retired) who won the UAE Derby in Dubai before racing in America. Jamie is well known for his outspoken (and sometimes controversial) views, so this promises to be an entertaining visit. We may even meet Bobby, his infamous whippet!

Brunch at The Plough, Eastbury RG17 7JN has been booked for those who wish to stay at a cost of £12 a head. Visit limited to c.40 people.

Update 30th July 2019: This stable visit is now fully booked.

We have been very fortunate to secure a WBRC visit to Richard Hannon’s & his team.

Richard needs no introduction as a top-class flat trainer. A stellar first season in 2014 saw him crowned Champion Trainer with the victories of Night of Thunder in the 2,000 Guineas and Toronado in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. He backed up the following year with victories from Pethers Moon in the Coronation Cup and Night of Thunder in the Lockinge.

Having had five years in the job, he has managed to gain Group 1 success every season, with Billesdon Brook gaining a second Classic success in 2018 and Barney Roy taking victory in the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot followed by a short head second in the Coral Eclipse.

This visit is limited to some 25 members. Applications will be treated on a first come, first served basis.

A light breakfast will be provided at the start of the visit so it is important that members arrive promptly and meet together in the car park.

Our National Hunt preview evening will be held on Tuesday, 22nd October 2019 at 8pm. Doors open at 7:15pm.

Venue: Owners Club, Newbury Racecourse

On the Panel: Charlie Longsdon; Joe Hill; Lizzie Kelly & Josh Apiafi

Entrance Fee: £3 for WBRC Members. £7 NON members.

When accessing Newbury Racecourse, please use the Hambridge Road entrance. Sat navs use postcode RG14 7PN which will take you over the railway bridge to Nuffield Health Centre which is a short distance from Newbury Racecourse.

We are delighted to have been invited to visit the offices of Weatherbys for an overview of their various roles within the thoroughbred industry. We will be given a wonderful chance to see behind the scenes of this historic business as well as attend a number of presentations in their conference room. Refreshments on arrival, as well as a free buffet lunch will be provided.

There is no restriction on numbers so please invite friends and non-members who might be interested in such an opportunity.

Full details can be found in July/August newsletter.

The West Berkshire Racing Club see please to announce that we’ll be visiting Oliver Sherwood and his team on Thursday, 21st November. Start time: 08:30am.

If you would like to secure your place on this trip, please use the booking form in September’s newsletter.

Update 06/11/2019 - Please note that the Christmas Social has been CANCELLED. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

This is the first occasion that the WBRC has managed to arrange a visit to this legendary trainer who generally prefers to remain fairly private.

The visit requires an early start to see some fabulous facilities and horses on the Cotswold Downs.

The plan is for the group to arrive to see second lot being exercised on the adjacent gallops, as well as a tour of the extensive facilities and stables. Second lot will depart at 08:20am. We will see some of the 40 or so promising four-year olds, as well as Cloth Cap, a likely Grand National contender.

To secure your place on this trip, please use the booking form in September’s newsletter.