Perth

directions

Jumps:

Directions to stable yard

Stables: Riverstone Lodge, Palace Park, Racecourse, Scone, Perth PH2 6BB

Perth Racecourse sits in a natural bowl on the northern edge of the city, tucked between the River Tay and the grounds of Scone Palace, and it has always felt slightly different from the rest of the Scottish circuit. Racing there goes back to the early nineteenth century, but the modern course took shape after the move to the present site in 1908, with the palace parkland giving it that distinctive green, wooded backdrop. It’s a National Hunt venue only, and its season runs from April to September, which gives it a spring‑and‑summer character unlike most jumps tracks.

The track itself is a right‑handed, flat, sweeping oval of about a mile and a quarter. The bends are generous, the fences are fair, and the ground tends to ride on the easier side because of the riverside setting. Horses who travel smoothly and can quicken off a steady rhythm usually do well there, and the long run‑in after the last gives hold‑up types a chance if the pace collapses. It’s not a stiff test like Kelso or Hexham; it’s more of a rhythm track where balance and speed matter as much as stamina.

Perth’s atmosphere is one of its biggest draws. The stands aren’t huge, but the setting makes it feel like a summer festival ground, especially on the three‑day April meeting that opens the Scottish jumps season and the August and September fixtures that often decide trainers’ and jockeys’ titles north of the border. Because it’s a summer jumps course, it attracts a mix of Scottish, northern English and Irish runners, and the fields can be surprisingly strong for a track of its size.

The course buildings sit close to the track, with the parade ring tucked neatly behind the stands and the whole place surrounded by trees. On warm evenings it has a relaxed, almost holiday feel, and many trainers treat it as a good place to bring horses back after a break or to give novices an educational run on a kind surface. Despite that, it can still produce competitive handicaps, and the long journey for many stables means they rarely come unless they think they have a chance.

Winners at Perth (7)