Guide to Cartmel
Just a mile in circumference, the left-handed course must be described as tight anyway, but the short turn into the ‘home’ straight accounts for about 75-80% of the transition from the ‘back’ straight to the ‘home’. The 2 fences down the back are close together, with the latter being a ditch.
The chase course has just 6 fences, of which the 4 along the main straight also come close together and can cause issues for untidy jumpers on the last circuit when the pace tends to pick up.
The run from the last hurdle is nothing unusual, but there is still about half a mile to run from the last fence on the chase course. That makes it the longest in Britain and can mean several changes in the lead in the closing stages.
Being up with the pace can be useful on such a tight track, but beware any horse sent for home too soon on the chase course.
Type of Racing: National Hunt Only
Highlights: The feature races are the Cumbria Crystal, a valuable hurdle at the July meeting and the Grand Veterans Handicap Chase at the same time of year. The August meeting holds the other two important races, the Cavendish Cup Chase and the Cartmel Cup, over hurdles.
TV Channel: Racing TV
Bookmaker Streaming Services are Available from Betfair and Bet365.
* All statistics below are based on the previous five years at Cartmel
Cartmel Outright Favourite Statistics
- Handicap Chases: 40-109 (37%) +3.78
- Handicap Hurdles: 29-107 (27%) -13.86
- Non-Handicap Chases: 9-14 (64%) +7.36
- Non-Handicap Hurdles: 24-43 (56%) +3.12
Cartmel Racecourse Map
National Hunt Only: Left-handed, undulating, one very tight turn, with a slightly downhill finish including an extraordinarily long run from the last fence in chases.
Racecourse Address: Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6QF
Racecourse Telephone Number: 015395 36004
To buy tickets for a race day at Cartmel, head over to their official ticket booking webpage
Cartmel Racecourse Guide
Cartmel is situated in the heart of the Lake District, in Cumbria.
Before World War II, the track was the domain of amateurs, but it expanded during the second half of the century and was brought into the modern world when Lord Cavendish bought out the previous management team in 1998.
The earliest accounts of racing here date back to the mid-19th century, but racing had taken place for some time before that.
The season is very short, with just 9 days of racing spread over 4 meetings each year, some of which now have live music afterwards. There is a 3-day meeting in May and a 2-day meeting in late June or early July.
The traditional 4-day meeting in August appears to have been split between late July and the end of August, with 2 days racing each.
These terms are slightly misleading as the course does not race on consecutive days but has a rest day between fixtures. The reason is two-fold.
It allows holidaymakers to spend time in the Lake District on the blank days, and as crowds tend to arrive early and leave very late, it gives the course a bit of time to prepare for the next influx. Crowds often exceed 20,000, a figure beaten only by Aintree and Cheltenham on the National Hunt circuit.
We all know the song about the railway running through the middle of the house. Cartmel’s take on that is to have the finishing straight running through the middle of the spectators’ area, which is located inside the track.
On one side of it is a large fairground; on the other, the parade ring. Although there is a small grandstand, in general, most structures are of a temporary nature.
How to get the best Cartmel tips
Big, galloping types may struggle on this tight track, particularly any that jump to the right or prefer to race right-handed.
As with many similar courses, being up with the pace can be an advantage, but the narrow track keeps field sizes down to manageable levels most of the time.
The fences are not in themselves too severe, but the grouping of them means a higher premium on jumping ability than would otherwise be the case.
Many horses travel some distance to the course, and this should be noted, especially concerning occasional runners from the bigger stables.
Check the olbg horse racing tip pages. If visiting Cartmel, download the latest olbg app for live tips.
Cartmel Jockey and Trainer Statistics
Who are the best National Hunt jockeys and trainers to bet on at Cartmel?
Following B M R Haslam would have returned a profit here at Cartmel with an LSP of +8.36, and their twenty-one winners have them at the head of the profitable trainers' list. James Moffatt leads the trainers' list overall with forty-four winners, but shows an overall loss. When looking at trainers and looking for some eachway value at Cartmel, then the trainer who shows the best eachway profit is O / Guerriero Greenall, that LSP is +19.76, which has been accumulated by a total of five placings, which includes four winners. A total of forty-four winners from two hundred fifty-three runners at Cartmel has James Moffatt at the wrong end of the trainers' list with their 17% strike rate and worst LSP of -37.45.
Whilst Charlotte Jones is the most successful jockey at Cartmel with a total of thirty-two winners, if you backed all of their rides, you would be showing a loss. Sean Quinlan is the most successful jockey at Cartmel for those who show a profit if backing all their rides, thanks to a total of twenty-one winners and an LSP of +2.04. If you are more of an eachway player, then you may want to know which jockey is best to follow at Cartmel, and that would be Derek R Fox, who shows the best eachway LSP, which is +9.86, thanks to their thirteen placings (four winners). At the other end of the spectrum is Brian Hughes, who has a terrible record at Cartmel; of all the jockeys, their LSP of -58.98 is the worst; they have a 12% strike rate with eighteen winners from one hundred fifty-two rides.
Cartmel Picks & Hints
Here are some factors at Cartmel for certain trainers or jockeys which have been profitable:
- 6-14 (43%) +24.00 - Backing Jennie Candlish runners when in a Handicap Hurdle race
Cartmel Top Jockey and Trainer Combinations
Here are the best trainer and jockey combinations at Cartmel based on the number of winners:
- 32 Wins: James Moffatt & Charlotte Jones
- 17 Wins: B M R Haslam & R P McLernon
- 14 Wins: Sam England & Jonathan England
- 10 Wins: D McCain Jnr & Brian Hughes
- 8 Wins: Elizabeth Quinlan & Sean Quinlan
Cartmel Top Trainers By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| B M R Haslam | 114-21-44 | +8.36 | -2.63 |
| Jennie Candlish | 27-8-14 | +26.50 | +15.82 |
| W J Greatrex | 17-5-9 | +2.79 | +4.03 |
| B Ellison | 22-4-7 | +19.63 | +7.95 |
| C M Collins | 18-4-6 | +4.50 | +0.30 |
| J W Mullins | 18-4-8 | +2.83 | +4.11 |
| O / Guerriero Greenall | 10-4-5 | +34.07 | +19.76 |
| Justin Landy | 9-4-6 | +18.75 | +11.24 |
| M F Harris | 17-3-9 | +0.50 | +1.02 |
| S R B Crawford | 13-3-5 | +9.00 | +5.16 |
Cartmel Top Jockeys By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Quinlan | 127-21-48 | +2.04 | -10.83 |
| R P McLernon | 100-19-37 | +17.53 | +1.77 |
| Derek R Fox | 40-4-13 | +13.00 | +9.86 |
| Mr T Gillard | 20-4-5 | +15.00 | +3.70 |
| Jonjo (Jr) O'Neill | 11-3-6 | +6.00 | +3.57 |
| Mr B W Harvey | 6-3-5 | +3.02 | +3.26 |
| Becky Smith | 20-2-3 | +5.00 | -2.50 |
| Mr William Maggs | 15-2-4 | +13.00 | +4.45 |
| Harry A A Bannister | 11-2-5 | +6.00 | +3.70 |
| Bradley Harris | 10-2-5 | +2.50 | +1.35 |
With a huge combined experience of horse racing between them, this content has been created and is maintained by Darren Brett, James Banting and Andy Powell.
*All of the data for Cartmel Racecourse, which includes the trainer and jockey statistics, has been created using statistics available from HorseRaceBase. The data includes all races throughout the last five years (2021 to 2025).
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide