Who We Are

West Berkshire Racing Club is one of the original racing clubs set up in the 1980s to encourage participation and involvement in horse racing. There were approximately 30 clubs across the country at that time but this has sadly reduced to about five today.

We have approximately 180 members (slightly more female than male). The annual subscription is only £15 and we want to encourage enthusiasts. As the name suggests, we are based in West Berkshire, however, we have members across many counties.

Our President is Jamie Snowden and our Vice President is Lizzie Kelly.

We organises a broad range of exciting events appealing to anyone with an interest in horse racing, including visits to racing stables, studs and race meetings as well as evening social events giving members the opportunity to meet racing personalities.  We also have regular competitions such as ITV 7 league, Ten to Follow, and tipping competitions for the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot.

Stable visits
We visit racing yards belonging to both Flat and National Hunt trainers. We meet the trainers, tour the stables, see the horses on the gallops and learn about how the horses are trained. Some visits are planned to coincide with a local race meeting. Brunch at a nearby pub is a regular feature!
During 2023 we visited Warren Greatrex, Richard Phillips, Oliver Signy, Chris Gordon, Henry Candy, Tom Ward, Owen Burrows, Richard Bandy and Harry Derham.

Stud Visits
Usually timed so we can see the mares with their newly-born foals, providing a fascinating insight into the world of breeding and the challenges involved. During 2023 we visited Overbury Stud.

Guest and Preview Evenings
The Club holds a series of discussion evenings with guest speakers from the world of racing. In the past year these have included Champion Trainer Nicky Henderson; Grand National winning jockeys Daryl Jacob and Brendan Powell Snr; Gold Cup winning jockey Andrew Thornton; TV presenters Tanya Stevenson, Luke Harvey and “Aussie” Jim McGrath; 2YO Handicapper Matthew Tester; trainers Eve Johnson Houghton, Jamie Osborne, Richard Phillips and Jamie Snowden. The Preview evenings at which top jockeys, trainers and media pundits point the way to ‘horses to follow’ cover the Hennessy, Cheltenham Festival and Aintree (NH) and the Guineas, Derby and King George (Flat).

Going to the races
Many Club members also belong to Newbury or other racecourses. The Club arranges a few raceday visits, sometimes preceded by a nearby stable visit.

Social Events
Additional social events include a Christmas party held at Oaksey House in Lambourn, to which our members and all the personalities we have met over the previous year are invited. An annual team quiz gives members a chance to pit their racing knowledge against the professionals.

Best Turned Out Award at Newbury Racecourse
The West Berkshire Racing Club wishes to recognise the invaluable work of stable staff within the racing industry and has generously donated a challenge shield. Below, Rob Watson presents Charlie Mann with the Best Turned Out Award.