Newmarket Behind the Scenes: Guided Half-Day Journey in UK's Horseracing Headquarters
4.9
43 Ratings
Cambridgeshire
Experience the thrill of Newmarket, the UK's horseracing headquarters, on a guided half-day journey. Discover its fascinating history, royal connections, and get closer to the action!
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Newmarket - Meet your tour guide at The National Stud and then hop onto our tour bus for a visit to the famed Newmarket Gallops. See some of the town’s 3,000 equine residents going about their daily exercise and learn about the fascinating history of the hallowed training grounds.
What's Included
  • Tea and coffee
Additional Information

If you’re eager to peek into the operations behind the curtain in Newmarket, this is an excellent opportunity. Acquaint yourself with how this town achieved its distinction as the Birthplace of Horseracing and delve into its rich history and its ties with royalty.

Ideal for those seeking deeper knowledge about the Sport of Kings or existing fans of horseracer, who yearn for a more intimate view of the sport.

Our expert and engaging guides promise you a uniquely remarkable and unforgettable experience here in UK’s racing capital.

  • This tour is not suitable for young children. Some wheelchair users may find it difficult to access the Gallops. If you are concerned this may be the case, please contact us so that we can offer an alternative.
Location
The National Stud
We ask that visitors park their vehicles in the free, on-site car park and then follow the directions to the Cafe, where your guide will greet you.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(43 Ratings)
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Sjsmiths
Jan 30, 2024
Amazing Experience and Tour - I'd booked this trip last minute for my daughters birthday. We had an amazing morning with Char, who gave a very knowledgeable and informative tour. We had a lovely sunny but cold day. My daughter and I both really enjoyed the whole experience, especially getting to see the latest additions to the National Stud. Really worth doing. Thank you Char.
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Maureen
Sep 24, 2023
The Amazing Frankel - I was given the chance to go on the Frankel tour as a gift. It was an amazing day that I will never forget. It began outside Newmarket Racecourse, a mini bus collected us , drove around Newmarket, went on a stable tour at Marco Botti’s yard.The staff there were lovely and friendly. We had a beautiful lunch at the Bedford Spa hotel. After that off to Banstead Manor to see Frankel. It was amazing . He was the last of four stallions. The feeling you get is best described as emotional! He has an aura around him. He sauntered out and stood in front of us, I couldn’t speak, so calm. Larry was our guide and is fantastic. Lady Jane was with us which made the day really special. We can’t thank people enough for that amazing day. It was Wednesday 17th August 2023.
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Peterdj1762it
Sep 11, 2023
Sheer Class - My wife and I went on the Full Day Frankel Tour Aug 2023. From start to finish this tour did not disappoint. Seeing Frankel was a dream come true. The day started at the Rowley Mile racecourse where we were met by our tour guide Larry. We waited and were then introduced to Lady Cecil and her sister Sally who accompanied us on the tour. Next was a tour of the Rowley Mile Racecourse before a trip to the Newmarket gallops. Then it was onto a tour, of Marco Botti's training yard. Connor at the yard was very informative and knowledgeable about each horse and its racing pedigree. It was then onto Bedford Lodge for an excellent lunch.. We were fortunate to be on a table with the tour guide Larry who was a mind of information and engaging with many stories of his life in racing. We could have listened to him for hours, After lunch lady Cecil went out her way to check everyone was enjoying the tour and had a brief chat .Then it was onto Banstead to see the amazing Frankel before a visit to the covering rooms. Larry our guide for the day was excellent, gave lots of information. He was friendly with a great sense of humour. Lady Cecil and her sister Sally were so personable and specifically made sure that my wife was looked after being as she has a walking disability. There was always a chair at hand so that my wife could enjoy the tour, At the end of the tour Lady Cecil, Sally and Larry personally thanked each person on the tour. It was a dream come true and the tour was just like Frankel. "Sheer Class".
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Flyer65588158096
Sep 5, 2023
Simply Brilliant - Absolutely fantastic experience. Larry was our guide and was friendly and informative. The weather was terrible but it didn’t spoil our time. Loved everything about it. The tea/coffee and cakes were very welcome half way through the morning. Getting up close to these wonderful beasts was fantastic
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Joannehu1528lt
Aug 21, 2023
Fantastic race day - An amazing day!! Our tour guide Larry was brilliant and we loved listening to his stories and facts about Newmarket. We visited the gallops and The National Stud which were amazing. Nothing was too much trouble and we highly recommend this tour. 10/10. Thanks Larry for making this such a special day.
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792pressj
Aug 17, 2023
First Class visit to Frankel - I have been looking forward to this tour since we were recommended it two years ago by another Discover Newmarket guide. WOW! What a day. Our tour guide , Larry met us at Newmarket Racecourse and we were introduced to Lady Jane Cecil , who was also to accompany us. We first had an amazing look around Newmarket Racecourse itself and went right up to the top of the stand for some fantastic views. ( we also visited some private boxes, including the Royal Box). We felt very privileged to be able to see these areas and Larry gave us great information about the racecourse, with Lady Jane also giving some lovely memories of her own. Then we also visited the gallops and went on to a racehorse trainer. We were welcomed to Marco Botti ‘s by Connor, who was fantastic showing us the wonderful facilities and lovely horses. Then it was off to lunch at the Bedford Lodge, also a wonderful experience as we were treated to excellent food and company. ( it was great to meet and talk to people in our group, all sharing racing experiences and information ). Finally, last but not least , was the highlight of the day for many of us, our visit to the stallions and to see the GREAT Frankel. The facilities at Banstead Manor are so luxurious and the best I’ve ever seen for stallion accommodation. We saw the other stallions first, then out walked Frankel. We were all completely in awe, such an amazing experience to see him in the ‘flesh’. I was totally taken by his presence and wonderful character. It was lovely to see Lady Cecil offer him a carrot and I’m sure he remembers her. His handler, Rob, also talked to us about his character and what he is like to look after. The staff at the stud were lovely and full of information about the stallions and mating process. A BIG thank you to Discover Newmarket for organising such a fantastic tour. Larry was amazing in showing us all the wonders of Newmarket and gave us some great information. ( I was very interested to find out where the trainers were as Larry pointed them out to us as we travelled through the town). What an absolute privilege to spend time with Lady Cecil and have her personal memories of times in racing and particularly with Frankel. It was also so interesting to see the actual workings of the racing industry in Newmarket . We saw first hand how it is all connected. It is the second time I have done a tour with Discover Newmarket and will definitely be back for another as it is such a well organised, enjoyable and informative experience.
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Chris
Jul 27, 2023
Horse racing visit to Sir Mark Prescott’s yard. - Excellent tour and tour guides. I think anyone interested in horse racing would really enjoy this. I will recommend to friends and family.
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Elizabeth
Jul 27, 2023
FRANKLY, FRANKEL IS FLIPPING FANTASTIC!!!!!! - What a fantastic day!! Met at Newmarket by our guide Larry, who was joined by Lady Jane Cecil. Between them & their wealth of knowledge we could not have wished for better. The entire tour was exceptional. Lunch too at the Spa Hotel was excellent, then on to meet THE KING !!!! Frankel was breath taking. I think everyone was SPELL BOUND !! I cannot stress enough how special the day was & wish to say a big THANK YOU to everyone we encountered on such a wonderful day.
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Jayne
Jul 26, 2023
Perfect'......... - Frankel tour. All day. What an amazing day'...worth every penny and more...The itinerary was much more than I expected including a non rushed tour of the race course, which included the Royal Box,weighing rooms,parade ring,winners enclosure, with lively detailed explanations from Larry our guide. Our tour was joined from start to finish by Lady Jane Cecil who I also wish to thank for her detailed conversations about Frankel and other interesting details of training and racing. A lovely lady and I wish her the very best for the future. The tour included a visit to the gallops where we saw many horses and, Larry explained a great deal about which horses were trained by the various trainers adding extra information about the gallops , The tour continued on to Ed Dunlop's yard where we were made very welcome and staff there took us around the stables showing us equipment,horses and gave details of training methods/and of care for the horses. Lunch at the Bedford Hotel was wonderful, great food and great company. Highlight of course was the visit to see Frankel and his stable companions at stud. Again we were made very welcome,given iced water upon arrival which was a nice gesture as was the goody bag when we left. The stallions were exceptionally well groomed very well behaved, seeing them up close and personal was quite a goose bump moment for me,and the yard is beyond immaculate. Staff did not rush us and answered all questions put to them explaining everything in detail. If, the young lady who works there happens to read this, a huge thank you for noticing that I was struggling due to the dreaded arthritis kicking in and she very kindly gave me a chair to sit on,thank you again.. So, 10/10 to Discover Newmarket and Larry for making an amazing day for all of us... Jayne.
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Elinamic
Sep 1, 2023
There were some interested aspects to the tour, but we feel it wasn't for us - We decided to join the National Stud tour while visiting Newmarket but the tour wasn't as interesting as we expected it to be. Firstly, we are not very familiar with horses and horse racing but we are open to learning more about various things. However, this tour catered mostly to people who were already familiar with horses and racing and the terminology used there. The tour was about 1.5 hours long and involved a bit of walking and some time in the shuttle bus. While on the bus, the guide was pointing various things in all directions but it was difficult to see them from the bus unless it was on the same side we were sitting. We also found the group was a bit big. We were 24 people and at times we couldn't hear the guide well enough. The guide was also moving a bit fast and wasn't waiting for everyone to gather up before starting the commentary for each point. I was expecting a more behind-the-scenes tour of how the stud was operating, but the main sights of the tour were lots of green spaces and a few horses. However, the only time we got enough time with the horses there was during the last stop when we got to feed them some polos. This was also my favourite stop on the tour as it was the most engaging. Proper horse enthusiasts seemed to have enjoyed the tour better than us, but nevertheless, it was an interesting experience for us too.
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