Earliest meeting: Tuesday 24th July 1810
Final meeting: Friday 9th August 1867
The Dumfries and Galloway town of Annan is in the south west of Scotland. Each year in July the town celebrates its Royal Charter, confirming the boundaries of the Royal Burgh. There is always entertainment, including a range of sports, but throughout the 1800s there was sport of a different nature in the town. The first race meeting held in the town was a three day affair, beginning on Tuesday 24th July 1810, on the Race Ground in Annan with entries made at the Globe Inn. At that inaugural three day meeting, on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th July 1810 the principal race on both days was a £20 Purse for horses, mares and geldings, with a supporting race each day for a new Saddle, Bridle and Whip. On the Wednesday there was also a Foot Race for a ‘good hat’, while on Thursday there was a Purse for beaten horses. After the inaugural event meetings were held annually, although in July 1843 the programme was billed as ‘Races and Wrestling’. At the meeting on Friday 16th August 1861 the main race, the Silver-Mounted Whip, required runners to complete one lap of the course, resulting in victory for Mr G Lindsay’s Ben Lomond over Dainty Davy and Dart. Four years later the meeting held on Friday 1st September 1865 had a different outcome for Mr G Lindsay’s horse Measure for Measure which fell as a result of a sheep dog running onto the course, its unfortunate jockey Harrison was killed from a broken neck in the fall. Meetings continued for just 2 more years until the final card was held on Friday 9th August 1867. It was a varied card which began with a Hurdle Race Plate over 2 miles and 8 flights of hurdles. The race was dominated by the Marquis of Queensberry, winning with Captain Crosstrees and filling the runner-up spot with Queen Bee. The Marquis sponsored the next race, the Queensberry Plate over a mile and the distance, when Mr Graham’s Tring won cleverly from Souverain and Bonaparte. The principal race, the Royal Burgh Plate, saw the Marquis’s Morris Dancer beat Souverain by a comfortable 3 lengths to bring Annan races to a conclusion. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 3 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Marquis of Queensberry, Mr J Milne from Meinfoot, Mr G Lindsay from Corricknowes (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Silver-Mounted Whip, Queensberry Plate, Royal Burgh Plate |
Friday 16th August 1861
Annan Silver-Mounted Whip once round
1. Ben Lomond, bay gelding owned by Mr G Lindsay
2. Dainty Davy, bay gelding owned by Mr Tait
3. Dart, brown gelding owned by Mr Dean |
The final meeting took place on Friday 16th August 1861. |
| Course today |
On the Race Ground in Annan. |
| 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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