Alexandra Park Racecourse, known to Londoners as Ally Pally, was a horse racing venue in Alexandra Park, London, England; it was colloquially known as the Frying Pan on account of its shape. It opened on 30 June 1868 and closed 102 years later on 8 September 1970.
- Venue
- Alexandra Park Racecourse
- Town
- London, GB
Alexandra Park Racecourse, known to Londoners as Ally Pally, was a horse racing venue in Alexandra Park, London, England; it was colloquially known as the Frying Pan on account of its shape. It opened on 30 June 1868 and closed 102 years later on 8 September 1970. It is now incorporated into the park, with a sports pitch in the centre of the racetrack oval. The course is described as "pear-shaped with a stick attached", hence the nickname the "Frying Pan". Races were run over three distances only: 5 furlongs (1,000 m), 1 mile 160 yards (1755 m), and 1 mile 5 furlongs (2,600 m). The going was often firm or hard, though heavy rain could render the turf treacherously slippery. Races of 1 mile 160 yards, and 1 mile 5 furlongs started in front of the stands; the horses ran down the straight and completed either one or two circuits of the round course before returning up the straight to the finish - round the frying pan and up the handle as it was described. The only other starting gate, out of sight from the stands, was for races over 5 furlongs. There was a right handed bend soon after the 5 furlongs start, followed by a home straight of 3 furlongs, which gave horses drawn with high numbers a big advantage. There was a steady climb to the winning post. There was an ornate Victorian grandstand and cast-iron railings. Monday evening meetings were a regular feature of Alexandra Park's programme. Evening racing started in 1955, and the course's popularity grew temporarily. The meetings were often televised by the BBC. The course's most important races were the London Cup (later transferred to Newbury), the Middlesex Plate, the Flying 2-year-old Plate and the 5-furlong Southgate Stakes. Alexandra Park has been described as "the quirkiest course in Britain... celebrated for its atmosphere but reviled for the treacherous twists and turns." Among its biggest supporters was the racing pundit, John McCririck. "Part of me died when Alexandra Park closed in 1970," he said, "I’ve ne