Earliest meeting: Thursday 23rd September 1841
Final meeting: Friday 26th September 1845
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford market town of Altrincham historically was in Cheshire and lies just 5 kilometres from Manchester City Centre and 16 kilometres east of Warrington. The town staged its own races in September 1841 which were organised by Mr George Massey of the Unicorn Inn. The inaugural meeting was a 3 day meeting from Thursday 23rd to Saturday 25th September 1841, on ‘a fine piece of turf in the village of Bowden in the Earl of Stamford’s Park’. After the first meeting it was decreed that it should be known as the Dunham Park meeting. There was a further 3 day meeting with a varied programme from Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th September 1843 to coincide with nearby Bowden’s Wakes week. As well as Stakes races there was a Trotting Cup, the highlight of the meeting being the Altrincham Hurdle race over 3 miles and the distance, with hurdles not less than 3 ft 6 ins high. The final record of a three day meeting was from Wednesday 24th to Friday 26th September 1845. However, in September 1851 a group met to try to revive racing in the town, but it seems without success. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lancashire & Cheshire Regiments |
| Principal Races |
Altrincham Hurdle Stakes, Trotting Cup, Cavalry Cup, Omnibus Stakes |
Friday 29th September 1843
Altrincham Hurdle Stakes over 3 miles
1. Lady of the Lake, bay mare owned by Mr Atkinson
2. Defence, bay gelding owned by Mr Edmonson
3. Donald Caird, bay gelding owned by Mr Teale |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 26th September 1845. |
| Course today |
In the village of Bowden in the Earl of Stamford’s Park. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
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 |
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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 |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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