Exeter Racecourse preparing for start of new season

National hunt horse racing will return to Exeter racecourse on October 12 for the season opener in the 2017/18 campaign in what will be the first of 17 fixtures at the Haldon Hill-track. The six-race card will feature four hurdles and two chases on the day, with the opener taking place at 14:20.

On October 24, the future chasers of the sport are in action on Best Mate Beginners' Chase day. The meeting is named after the former three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and is generally well supported by the best trainers in the UK. Due to the position on the national hunt calendar, last season’s star hurdlers often appear at Exeter for their first taste of fences.

The feature meeting of the season is the Haldon Gold Cup, which is set to take place on November 7 and will attract one of the biggest attendances of the season at the Devon track. There is more prize money on offer on this day than there is at any other meeting in the county all season. The two-miles-and-one-furlong contest attracts the best chasers over the short trip and many of the contenders for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival will use this as their season opener.

Former Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls does very well with horses at Exeter and has won the Haldon Gold Cup a record five times; he will be hoping to extend his record this year as his best two milers are likely to line up in Devon. He was last successful in 2016 when Vibrato Valtat came out on top at the age of six with Sam Twiston-Davies on board. In 2017, it was the Tom George-trained Sir Valentino who landed a strong renewal of the race, where he beat Garde La Victoire in a thrilling finish.

There are a limited number of tickets still available for the 2017 Haldon Gold Cup meeting. If you are having a bet on the meeting, you can find a preview of the races when you’re online, while there are also daily horse racing tips for the all the meetings in the UK.

Devon Day at Exeter racecourse is a meeting that many in the area look forward to each year to celebrate everything associated with the county. There are charity races and events on the day to help raise money for some brilliant causes such as the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. Racegoers are also treated with local produce as there are stalls featuring the best food and drink from the region. This year’s meeting is scheduled for November 26 where the gates will open at 10:45.

Exeter is staging two festive meetings in December this season. This first is on December 8, where festive packages are available in the restaurant. On December 21, the racecourse hosts its last meeting before Christmas. The feature race on this card is the Graduation Chase, where L’Ami Serge finished second last year before going on to have a successful campaign over fences.

Those who want to start 2018 in style will be looking forward the traditional New Year’s Day meeting, which returns again. Exeter attracts one of the biggest crowds of the day on the bank holiday as the West Country residents enjoy this fixture.

The 2017/18 campaign will end this season on May 8 with Ladies’ Night. There are prizes for the best-dressed male and female. There is also live music after racing as the season at the Haldon Hill course comes to an end in style once again.