The Jockey Club Rooms reviewed

Situated in the heart of Newmarket – the headquarters of racing – this exclusive venue is the perfect base from which to explore the sport of kings, says Charlotte Mackaness

Few of us can resist the chance to go places usually out of bounds or take a peek inside institutions normally closed to the public but Newmarket offers just that. Racing’s ‘headquarters’ has heritage and famous faces (both equine and human) in spades, and The Jockey Club Rooms are no exception. Open to non-members outside of the Flat season since 2018, they make a brilliant, centrally located base from which to explore the town and its legion of equestrian attractions. Membership of The Jockey Club remains by invitation only; traditionally new members were selected by secret ballot where a white ball signified a vote in support, a black opposition – hence the expression ‘blackballing’. Thankfully no such vote is required to book a room. (You might like to read about the great equestrian artists here.)

Good for:

• Racing fans
• Sporting art lovers
• Members’ club style

The Jockey Club Rooms: at the heart of racing

The Jockey Club Rooms are quite literally at the heart of racing, situated in the middle of Newmarket. Once one goes beyond the imposing gates, the bustle of the High Street feels a world away as one enters a quiet oasis of timeless gentility.

The wood-panelled corridors are lined not only with photographs of the sport’s great and good but equestrian masterpieces.

There are 18 bedrooms, all decorated in keeping with the elegant Georgian building: heritage wallpapers, antique furniture and roll-top baths but with super-fast broadband and all the touches one would expect in a boutique hotel. However, the polite request that mobiles be turned off in public areas and the dress code (one suspects the ban on ripped denim is unlikely to trouble too many Field readers) is a reminder that this is very much a private members’ club.

While there is a diary of special culinary events, ranging from fine-dining experiences to Friday-night dining and jazz evenings, stays at The Jockey Club Rooms are usually on a bed and- breakfast basis. The villages around Newmarket have a good supply of traditional country pubs offering excellent food but we chose to travel no further than a short walk up the High Street to the Thai Street Café, which serves super-fresh, authentic Thai food as well as possessing a more than respectable cocktail list.

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The gallops

Next morning, after a delicious cooked breakfast, we were met bright and early by our guide for the ‘Discover Newmarket’ tour: Larry Bowden. Having started out as an apprentice jockey and riding 24 winners before going to work at numerous studs, there seem to be few people in the town Bowden doesn’t know. We were driven, in a branded black London cab, to various locations. First stop was the gallops. Normally a no-go zone to the public until the afternoon, with our trusty escort we were able to stand right in the middle as strings of thoroughbreds galloped and danced past us.

Next was the yard of Charlie Fellowes and then a private tour of The National Stud, taking in all sorts of famous sites and snippets of trivia in between. We finished at the National Horseracing Museum, which is set in five acres just down the road from The Jockey Club Rooms. This is a little gem of a museum with everything from resident retired racehorses and an exhibition of antique racing games to a fine collection of sporting art, including works by Stubbs and Munnings, found in Palace House – what remains of King Charles II’s racing digs.

National Horseracing Museum

There’s more than enough in the National Horseracing Museum to keep visitors occupied for much of the day, and The Tack Room restaurant (or Tack Box for takeaway) are popular spots with both locals and tourists. Having had one’s appetite whetted by the Discover Newmarket tour, we were delighted to hear from Bowden that just about any bespoke racing experience can be organised – the odds of a return visit to Newmarket just shortened again.

DON’T MISS: Discover Newmarket tours offer a behind the- scenes glimpse into racing’s headquarters: a guided tour of the gallops, a training yard and The National Stud.

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