2025: The year Newton Abbot Racecourse returned to its best form

A superb summer of racing draws to a close at Newton Abbot this week with a Family Fun Day, the perfect sign-off for a perfect year under the stewardship of new Chief Executive John Baker.

It is no secret that the previous year was extremely challenging for the course, losing six meetings to bad weather conditions and ongoing issues on the track, but the bounce back has been nothing short of remarkable, with Newton approaching the golden barrier of 50,000 fans coming through the gates.

“It’s been a brilliant season for us to get all meetings completed, on the back of losing six last year,” said Baker.

“We’ve had a lot of luck with the weather but what has struck me most is the people. The crowds turn up; they create a great atmosphere and the noise they make when horses go past the post is phenomenal.

“We’re not far short of 50,000 people coming through the gates for racing this year, averaging over 2,600 for each meeting, and the local business community has also been really supportive of us.

“It’s just been a really good year and I’m very proud of our team. If you’d written it at the start of the year, we couldn’t have asked for better.”

Racing, like all sports and entertainment industries, is a numbers game, and Baker has spearheaded initiatives designed to bring fans back to the Newton course.

As well as increased Family Fun Days and entertainment after the final race is run, the course has supplied courtesy buses from the train station, and most importantly, erased the bad weather memories from 2024.

“The number of attendees is getting us back to where we were pre-Covid, smashing the 50,000 barrier is what we wanted, and we’re very close,” said Baker.

“We’ve tried a few new things this year, such as live music after racing, courtesy buses from Newton Abbot Station, putting on five Family Days, and the crowds have responded.

“We have had a reputation of meetings abandoned each year, and whenever there is heavy rain, people might assume we will be off, but we’ve hopefully proved that wrong this year, particularly on a wet Easter Saturday.

“When we compare ourselves to other racecourses in the area, we’re comfortably ahead of Exeter and Wincanton, and we’re not far off the average attendances at places like Chepstow, which is a really good foundation for the future.”

But what makes Newton Abbot stand out from the rest?

There are a number of key factors, including location, the influx of holidaymakers and the superb panoramic views, but it ultimately comes down to a special atmosphere on race days.

Every racecourse has its own unique noise, and the noise at Newton is very loud!

“It’s hard to pinpoint one thing that makes Newton Abbot different to other courses, but the atmosphere is certainly something you don’t get at most racecourses,” added Baker.

“The noise and buzz around the place is always there on a race day. Even on what you might call quieter meetings, there is still a murmur around the betting ring and when the horses are out on the course.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work at Aintree when there’s been roars from the crowd but there is something unique about the atmosphere at Newton Abbot.

“We have a great viewing track, it’s a flat track and fans can see all the action unfolding in front of them. It’s also a very intimate track, so quite compact and that helps bring people together. The location also has a real mix of local people and holidaymakers.

“We have the core of traditional racing enthusiasts, alongside the local vibe of the town, which makes for a unique mix. It is the buzz that makes Newton Abbot stand apart, makes for something special.”

That special noise could turn a tad spooky on Wednesday, the final meeting of the season, as Halloween arrives at the races.

“The Family Fun Days have been great this year and it’s half-term this week, so we’re running a Halloween theme with pumpkin carving and face painting,” said Baker.

“The mascot will have a Halloween look, the bouncy castle will be in place and the Rotary Club bringing a fun stall, so lots going on for families to enjoy.

“We also have a terrific card to finish the season, including a £15,000 handicap hurdle, so we’re trying to create a special day for a Wednesday afternoon. The racing is always great fun, but we want that extra excitement for fans to enjoy.

“Touch wood, the weather looks good to finish the season on a high.”

Once that final horse has galloped past the post, all focus at Newton Races will turn to a winter menu of events, utilising the superb venue space and facilities on offer, alongside planning for the 2026 season.

It promises to be a busy winter at the course and the Newton reach is now stretching across Torbay and out to Plymouth and Exeter, with Baker prioritising the development of new partnerships with Devon sporting and business enterprises.

It is all about working together to create a positive future for the area, and sport should be at the very heart of that ambition.

“We’re running Christmas parties for the first time this year, all four of those have sold out, and we have a Christmas Fayre at the end of November, when we’re hoping to attract around 4,000 people,” said Baker.

“We had 4,000 at our Country Show, doubling last year. We’ve run antique events, murder mystery shows, comedy nights, and a whole lot more before we start racing again next April.

“We also need to plan for the 2026 season; we’ve had a great year but we need to build on that platform. We’re working at ways to relaunch Ladies’ Day, create some other themes and we have four evening meetings next year, instead of two, so it’s about laying the plans to ensure we have full meetings again.

“The aim will be to go closer to 60,000, rather than the 50,000, to ensure our hospitality areas are full for every meeting.

“We’ve created our own Business Club this year, which has been really well received. Our sponsorship has doubled, but we need to take that further.  

“Our job is to push the facility we have here, and part of that is a refurbishment of our main Paddock Suite. We will continue to have events through the winter, while planning to make sure the 2026 season is even better.

“We’ve done some good work with Torquay United Football Club and Exeter Racecourse already, and we’re also working with Exeter Chiefs, so we’ve started on that networking journey, but we need to reach out down to Plymouth and Exeter.

“We’re more prominent in the business community and sport in Devon needs everyone to work together to improve what we offer. We’re also reaching out in Torbay, creating partnerships and connections for the mutual benefit of South Devon.

“Newton Abbot Racecourse wants to be a part of the conversations and helping the business and sporting communities grow together.”