If you are new to London and are partial to some live sporting action, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the English capital is a stone’s throw from some of the most popular racecourses in British horseracing. Live horseracing is a genuine thrill for sports fans, with the ability to get up close and personal with the horses in the paddock and then watch them in their most comfortable habitat – the racecourse.

If you’d like to plan a visit to an English racecourse within easy reach of London by car or public transport, check out this quartet of winning venues guaranteed to provide you with flat or jump racing entertainment.

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is a high-end racecourse in the UK. Although flat racing is its bread and butter, it hosts flat and jumps racing meetings, with 13 of the country’s 36 Group 1 flat races staged here within ten minutes of Junction 12 of the M25.

When you visit Ascot – or indeed any other UK racecourse – your betting options will be restricted to the on-course bookmakers. This can be quite limiting, and when you walk around the betting ring, it’s never easy to know if you’re getting a good price on the horses you back. That’s why some racegoers prefer to place their wagers on their phone with mobile bookmaker apps and sites. It’s easier to compare the available odds, and it’s also possible to lock in free horse bets either as a new customer or as a loyal existing customer on selected headline race meetings like Royal Ascot.

Kempton Park

Kempton Park is one of several racecourses across the UK that’s owned and managed by The Jockey Club. Located just 16 miles south-west of Charing Cross in Central London, Kempton Park is in the charming suburbs of Sunbury-on-Thames in Middlesex. It’s easily accessible by rail, with regular services from Waterloo through Clapham Junction.

There is plenty of horseracing heritage at Kempton Park. Its first race was staged in July 1878, but it experienced a lengthy hiatus as a consequence of both World Wars. The park returned to hosting racing in 1947. Today, it has an all-weather racetrack that’s floodlit, guaranteeing year-round action for racegoers in and around the capital.

Sandown Park

Situated in Esher, Surrey, Sandown Park is another racecourse venue owned and managed by The Jockey Club. It’s home to some big races throughout the calendar year, with five Grade 1 National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race – the Eclipse Stakes.

Like Kempton Park, Sandown Park is well-served by rail links out of London’s Waterloo station. Sandown Park is a multi-purpose venue, with the venue’s owners often staging live music events before and after race meetings. There are also non-racing events held here regularly, such as trade and car shows, as well as auctions.

Epsom Downs

Epsom Downs is another Jockey Club racecourse, and it’s also home to one of the biggest thoroughbred horse races for promising, three-year-old colts and fillies. The Epsom Derby is one of the most fascinating flat stayer races, staged over a mile-and-a-half. Epsom also stages two separate Group 1 races on the flat, including the filly-only Oaks Stakes and the Coronation Cup for older horses.

Epsom is one of the most historic horseracing venues in the UK. The heritage of horseracing in this area dates back more than 350 years, and today, the Epsom Derby is still a major pull for Queen Elizabeth II, who has been a regular visitor to this race day for the last 70 years.

All of the above goes to show that London’s sports scene is not all about football, rugby and tennis. If you’re prepared to venture a little out of the Central London vibe, there’s a wealth of horseracing venues waiting to be explored.