Earliest meeting: Tuesday 2nd August 1808
Final meeting: Saturday 30th September 1865
The north Ayrshire coastal town of Ardrossan has a name which means ‘headland of the deer’. It grew up as a community around its Cannon Hill Castle in the mid-1100s, which was constructed by Simon de Morville. Today it is a bustling, growing town, but back in the mid-1800s it was quite small but could still drum up sufficient support for race meetings. The earliest record of a meeting in the town, on Tuesday 2nd August 1808, was reported in the Sporting Magazine. A three race programme consisted of well-contested Subscription races and once racing had ended for the day the Stewards organised an Ordinary at Cambell’s Hotel in the town. It was a further 57 years before racing was reported again. The meeting was, once again, a one-off which took place on Saturday 30th September 1865. An immense crowd cheered home Miss Hudson to success in the inaugural race, the Stanley Stakes, while the feature Chapelhill Chase was won by the Lord C. Innes-Ker owned Johnnie. The six race programme concluded with the Consolation Stakes over 2 miles when Charcoal, the 2/1 on favourite sent punters home happy. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 3 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord C. Innes-Ker, Honourable Seton Montgomery |
| Principal Races |
Stanley Stakes, Chapelhill Steeplechase, Burgh Stakes |
Saturday 30th September 1865
The Chapelhill Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Johnnie, aged horse owned by Lord C. Innes-Ker
2. Tam Glen, aged horse owned by Mr J Elliot
3. Baron, aged horse owned by Mr A Campbell |
| The final meeting took place on Saturday 30th September 1865. |
| Course today |
From Stanley to Chapelhill. |
| 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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