Earliest meeting: Thursday 5th August 1824
Final meeting: Tuesday 18th September 1883
The historic Welsh market town and coastal resort of Aberystwyth is in Ceredigion and lies at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol. Today it is a busy university town, but back in 1824 James Whyte’s History of the British Turf noted that racing first took place in the town on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th August. The meeting usually consisted of two days of racing in mid-August on a course laid out in a meadow near Gogerddan, just 3 miles from the town centre. The two day meeting on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th August 1825 accepted entries at both the Gogerddan Arms and Talbot Inn, widely broadcasting the rule that ‘jockeys forfeit 10 shillings if not ready to start within 10 minutes of the bugle sounding’. The course hosted Flat and National Hunt meetings and at the two day meeting from Tuesday 5th to Wednesday 6th September 1826 the opening Hunters’ Stakes was won by Mr Curry’s Counsellor, beating Cara Sposa and Knicknack (a horse by Gimcrack), while the Gogerddan Stakes went to Captain B Davies’ Mima. On two occasions in 1838 the racecourse hosted two cricket matches between an Aberystwyth Select XI and an England Select XI. The first of these matches was held on 13th July and a second match took place on 20th July 1838. Race meetings continued until the final Flat Race meeting on Thursday 20th November 1851, whilst National Hunt racing continued until Tuesday 18th September 1883. After this date racing did continue in the town but invariably consisted of hurdle and pony races. The meeting, held on Thursday 18th September 1884 at Tanybwich, consisted of 2 Flat races, 3 Hurdle races and the Ystwyth Open Pony Race over a mile.

Wednesday 22nd to Thursday 23rd August 1832

Aberystwyth Members Purse over 2 miles
1. Harolda owned by Mr Pickernell

The Gogerddan Stakes over 2 miles and a distance
1. Lady Harrington owned by Mr Fuller

Aberysthwyth Sweepstakes over 2 miles
1. Harolda owned by Mr Pickernell

Tuesday 5th September 1826
The Gogerddan Stakes over 2 miles
1. Mima, brown mare owned by Captain B Davies
2. Sportsman, bay colt owned by Mr Bristow
3. Stingo, chestnut horse owned by Mr O Wynn

In Gogerddan 3 miles from the town centre.

Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-

London Illustrated News

Racing Illustrated 1895-1899

The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated

Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough

The Sporting Magazine

A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8

Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses