The Sunday Series has become very popular in Britain. This is a set of race meetings, designed for casual racegoers, with entertainment and a strong social element included.
Debuted back in 2021 by racing’s top authority, the BHA, the Sunday Series also included input from stakeholders such as racing’s commercial sponsors to offer a new look to racing on casual Sundays, helping younger people get into the sport. Unlike major betting race days staged on Saturdays, the Sunday Series mixes quality racing with food, festival vibes and music.
How the Sunday Series Works
The Sunday Series was created to offset some of the Saturday focus, as Sundays were traditionally very quiet on Britain’s racecourses. Aimed at boosting attendances and creating a more relaxed atmosphere, the series has been very successful and has even managed to offer inflated prize money for horses, owners, trainers and jockeys.
The Sunday Series runs during the summer, formerly June to August, but has now been extended owing to its popularity. Race days are staged at several different racecourses, usually encompassing 6-7 races, mostly competitive handicaps which are great for betting on, with a festival atmosphere to back it up.
DJ’s, bands, bars, pop-up food stalls, family activities and great live TV coverage all complement Sunday Series race days. Attendees can also benefit from a more relaxed dress code, with promos aimed at bringing in a younger crowd than see at racecourses in the past.
Newmarket, Sandown, Haydock, Leicester and Chelmsford Racecourses were all used in past Sunday Series events, spreading the initiative around the country nicely. Racing quality has been good, though officially mid-tier, with some competitive races having produced extremely exciting results.
2026 Sunday Series Dates
As of now, these are the expected Sunday Series dates for 2026, with some new racecourses involved:
- Musselburgh Racecourse – 12 April 2026
- Newmarket Racecourse – 3 May 2026
- Hamilton Park Racecourse – 17 May 2026
- Thirsk Racecourse – 31 May 2026
- Haydock Park Racecourse – 10 August 2026
- York Racecourse – 6 September 2026
This means that eastern Scotland, western Scotland, North Yorkshire, Merseyside and Suffolk are all covered this year. The opening day, at Musselburgh on April 12, will kick things off in style before Hamilton has the privilege of hosting the first live, televised meeting of the series with the ITV cameras in the house.
There will be over £200,000 in prize money offered for each meeting, as well as all the non-racing entertainment. Make sure you don’t miss out and book up for your closes Sunday Series meeting now!