Earliest meeting: Thursday 17th August 1699
Final meeting: August 1739
The Derbyshire market town of Bakewell, set in beautiful Derbyshire Dale’s countryside, first held races in 1699 when a 3-day meeting took place from Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th August 1699 on the Cowden Court course. On the opening day, Thursday 17th August there was a £10 Plate for horses carrying 10 stone over 3 heats of 4 miles, the winner being sold for £30. The next day, Friday 18th August, a £30 Plate was held over 3 heats with the winner sold for £60, while on the final day, Saturday 19th August, a £40 Plate was staged over 3 heats, the winner being sold for £60. The town was granted a market charter in 1254 and is famous for its Bakewell Pudding, rather than the better known Bakewell Tart. The next reference to racing in the town was in 1727 when the meeting attracted landed gentry from nearby Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall and Baily's Racing Register provided detailed results from the event held on Friday 25th August 1727. The racing fanatic, Mr William Watkins Wynn, won the race with his mare Molly-in-the-Moor. In 1728 the 3 days racing during the year consisted of four events, a race for Galloways, a second 'give and take' race, another for horses and the final one for actual 'bona fide' hunters. Meetings similar to this were also held in 1732 and again in 1739, after which the meeting died out.

Monday 25th August 1727

Bakewell £30 Plate
1. Molly-in-the-Moor owned by Mr William Wynn
2. Milkmaid owned by Mr Witty
3. Blue-eyed Susan owned by Mr Warren

Monday 16th May 1729

Bakewell £30 Plate for 6 Year Olds
1. Quiet owned by Sir M Newton
2. Bravo owned by Sir N Curzon
3. Poor Robin owned by Mr Bagshaw
4. Spider owned by Mr Chandler

Friday 2nd September 1730

Bakewell £20 Plate
1. Miss Nesham owned by Mr Brewster
2. Diana owned by Mr Musters
3. Moorhen owned by Mr Goostry

In 1728 there were 3 days racing during the year, one a race for Galloways, a second ‘give and take’ race, another for horses and the final one for actual ‘bona fide’ hunters. Meetings similar to this meeting were also held in 1732 and again in 1739, after which the meeting died out.

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