Earliest meeting: Monday 24th July 1848
Final meeting: Tuesday 23rd October 1849
The small village of Belsay is situated about 5 miles from Ponteland in Northumberland and boasts a superb medieval Castle and the splendid Belsay Hall. Back in the middle of the 19th century the village held its own race meetings, as did nearby Ponteland, with the first Belsay two day meeting taking place on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th July 1848. Entries were made at the Castle Inn where an Ordinary was served after racing. A 2 day follow-up meeting was staged the next year on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd October 1849 on the Estate of Sir Charles Monck. The card opened with the Belsay Stakes over a mile and a half which was won by Mr Arban’s Aspasis from White Stockings owned by Mr Hodgson. The Farmers’ Stake followed and went to Susanna, easily fending off the challenges of Diamond and Jerry. On the Tuesday the principal race, the Galanthus Stakes, was won by Aspasia, and such was the success of the meeting that many subscriptions were donated so that a Steeplechase meeting could take place in January 1850. However, there are no records to confirm that the meeting did materialise. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Sir Charles Monck, Mr Arban |
| Principal Races |
Belsay Stakes, Galanthus Stakes |
Tuesday 23rd October 1849
Galanthus Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Aspasia, chestnut mare owned by Mr Arban
2. The Weed, chestnut mare owned by Mr Adamson
3. White Stockings, brown mare owned by Mr Hodgson |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 23rd October 1849. |
| Course today |
On the estate of Sir Charles Monck. |
| 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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