Three Centuries Of Racing
Beverley lies on the outskirts of the pretty market town at Westwood, where racing can be traced back more than 300 years.
The right‐handed course, which hosts Flat racing, has a reputation for being one of the friendliest tracks in the country. It has a notoriously stiff uphill finish that was put to another use during WWII. The track served as an airbase and the home straight was used as the runway. These days the course and its feature races have been the launchpad for the career of several top racehorses.
The early juvenile stars get to push their Royal Ascot claims at the course’s big May meeting. The Hilary Needler Trophy – named after the original race sponsor and enthusiastic supporter of Beverley – has been won by some brilliant two‐year‐old fillies.
None were better than Attraction.
Trained across Yorkshire at Middleham by Mark Johnston, she went on to win the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot a few weeks later. The following year she landed the 1000 Guineas, Irish 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes. The colts’ equivalent is the Two‐Year‐Old Trophy held over the same five‐furlong distance and on the same afternoon.