Nakayama Racecourse, Horse racing venue in Funabashi, Japan
Nakayama Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Funabashi that includes two grass tracks, a dirt circuit, and facilities for jump racing. The complex offers grandstands, betting windows, and viewing areas where visitors can watch races unfold across different course layouts.
Nakayama's origins lie at Matsudo Racecourse, opened in 1906, which moved to Nakayama village in 1919 and was renamed Nakayama Kurabu. The present site in Funabashi was built in 1927 in about 70 days and held its first meeting in January 1928. The club merged into the Japan Racing Association in 1937, and the main grandstand was completed in 1990.
The Arima Kinen, created in 1956 by JRA president Yoriyasu Arima, is run at Nakayama in late December. The 1996 edition drew about 87.5 billion yen in bets for a single race, a figure entered in the Guinness World Records. The race's name comes from its founder.
The racecourse connects to Funabashi-Hoten Station through a covered walkway, and parking is available on site. Race days draw large crowds, especially during winter events.
The final climb is a 2.2-metre rise between 180 and 70 metres from the finish, which the JRA calls the "steep slope". The turf course drops 5.3 metres overall, the largest elevation change of any JRA track, and the dirt course 4.5 metres. The Hai-Seiko statue stands between the main gate and the paddock, installed in 2001.
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