Nottingham Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated at Colwick Park, close to the River Trent and about 3 km east of the city centre.

There are actually two courses at Nottingham, one inside the other. They are both approximately 1 1/2 miles round and are left-handed. The inner, which was the national hunt course, is used, during spring and autumn, and has a 5 furlong straight, the outer is used during summer and has a 6 furlong straight. The course generally has easy turns and minor gradients, but the home turn is fairly sharp. Nottingham suits well-balanced horses rather than long-striding ones. There was a straight mile until the 1970s.^{[citation needed]}

Nottingham races, before they moved to Colwick Park, had been held for about two hundred years on the Forest Recreation Ground, about two miles from the city centre. A course of about four miles existed on the Forest and Basford Lings. It was one of the earliest racecourses to be granted a Royal Plate race by the monarch. It was run in 4 mile heats by 6 year olds carrying 12 stone.

Early in the 18th century the circuit was reduced to two miles. An impressive grandstand, designed by John Carr of York, was built in 1777, which contained rooms for tea and cards and a large entertainment room. The roof of this stand gave 500 standing spectators a splendid view of the racing. However, parliamentary enclosures in the 1790s almost caused the demise of the course. The site was much reduced in size, resulting in the laying out of a figure-of-eight course. This was not popular as the view of the races was restricted. In 1813 a new course was designed: an oval of ten furlongs.

With the passing of the St. Mary's Nottingham Inclosure Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. 7 Pr.), the Forest and grandstand became the property of Nottingham Corporation, which appointed a committee to run the racecourse.

By the 1880s Nottingham racecourse was in decline. It was considered inadequate, being compared by one writer to a circus enclosure. There were only four days' racing each year (two days each at the Spring and Autumn meetings) catering for moderate horses as prize money was low.

At a town council meeting on 5 May 1890 a motion was put forward to urge the council to not allow betting at any race meeting under the council's management, and to abolish admission charges to the course. This was intended to bring an end to racing on the Forest. An amendment was passed to allow racing until 1 November, after which no Race Committee would be appointed.

The two race meetings took place, as usual, in 1890. The admission charges for the Autumn meeting were: Stand and First Ring 7/6d, Second Ring 5/-, New Enclosure 2/-. The most valuable race was the Nottinghamshire Handicap, with prize money of £500. It was won by Glory Smitten, with Tommy Tittlemouse second. The Autumn meeting made a profit of only £43.3s. The 'Evening Post' commented: "Amongst the residents of the town who met in the ring, speculation was rife as to whether this will be the last of the Nottingham meetings, and whether the Race Committee will be reappointed in November."