Stay In Suffolk Hotels To Watch The 'sport Of Kings'

Newmarket is the historic home of horseracing, also known as the 'sport of kings'. Nestled in the Suffolk countryside, Newmarket lives and breathes horseracing from every corner.

A visit to this picturesque town is a must for any horseracing enthusiast, whether intrigued by the history of the sport, interested in some of the best thoroughbreds in the world or for those wanting to see a race in all its glory.

As well as its famous racecourse, Newmarket is home to a range of horseracing institutions, with a whole host of activities and events to discover.

To explore a fantastic showcase of British thoroughbred breeding, the National Stud is a must. The National Stud is situated on the edge of Newmarket, over 500 acres of prime pastureland. The Stud, which was opened in 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II, will be hosting a range of special Newmarket night tours including a behind the scenes look at the July racecourses.

Guided tours of the Stud vary depending on the time of year. However during each tour, there are opportunities to view the Stallion unit, plus the Foaling unit and nursery yards. Some of the youngsters visiting the Stud will be delighted by the miniature Shetland ponies as well as the resident mares and foals in the paddocks.

Horseracing in Newmarket has dated back as far as 1174, making it one of the earliest racing venues on record. To learn more about the history of horseracing, the National Horseracing Museum is well worth a visit. The museum tells the story of horseracing legends dating back to its Royal origins and Lester Piggott right through to modern day heroes like Frankie Dettori.

For those who are interested in purchasing or simply viewing some of the world's finest horses, Europe's largest bloodstock auctioneers, Tattersalls is located within the town. As the world's oldest bloodstock auctioneer dating back to 1766, they sell over 5000 thoroughbreds a year. Some of the biggest names in horseracing have attended the sales by the famous bloodstock auctioneers.

As there are so many activities to choose from, the Newmarket Experience has something for everyone, including an exciting day at the races and visits to the training yards, for an overall taste of horseracing in Newmarket.

To round off the Newmarket racing experience, why not stay at a Suffolk hotel. Centered in the home of horse racing, the Breakfast in the Paddocks event offers racing enthusiasts a rare insight in the world of racing with tours of the yard and a chance to observe the horses in training.

Newmarket lies within easy reach of Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. The town has god rail links and is easily accessible with major roads such as A11, A14 and M11 motorway. Also Stansted International Airport is only one hours drive plus central London is less than two hours away.