The earliest records indicate that thoroughbred racing first took place in the vicinity of the city of Bath at Claverton Down in 1728. However, prior to this date a Galloway Plate was contested in 1716. Baily’s Racing Register recorded a meeting in Bath on Wednesday 25th September 1728 with the result shown below. Racing continued to be staged at this venue until 1796, after which meetings transferred to the present day Lansdown course in 1811. That inaugural three day meeting, from Wednesday 3rd to Friday 5th July 1811, opened with a 100 guineas match over two miles in which Sir John Hawkin’s Ringdove justified odds of 4/7 to beat Mr Peach’s Barbara. Sir H Lippincott won the City Members Plate and Bath and West of England Club Purse with Kangaroo. Full details of this inaugural Lansdown meeting are shown amongst the display of Bath member’s badges. The course can rightly claim to be the highest Flat racing course above sea level in England at 780 feet, although the National Hunt courses of Exeter and Hexham are both higher. Racing ceased during both World Wars, and during the Second World War the course was used as an airfield by the RAF who named it RAF North Stoke. Currently the course hosts 16 meetings annually and is prepared to hold meetings on weekdays, weekends or evenings provided they can attract the crowds.
Wednesday 25th September 1728
Bath Plate for 50 Guineas confined to horses which have not won a Royal Plate
1. Smiling Ball, chestnut horse owned by Lord Essex 1 1 1
2. Collier, black horse owned by Mr Kirby 3 2 2
3. Frosty-Face, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Thorp 2 3 wdr
Bristol first staged races jointly with Bath from Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th July 1825 when the Somersetshire Stakes was won by Mr C Day’s Sloe, while the Bristol St Leger, over a mile, went to Burgundy for Mr Day. In 1827 the meeting was billed as ‘Clifton and Bristol races’ when staged on Thursday 26th April. Meetings continued until 10th May 1838 after which racing lapsed, returning in 1856 as the Bristol and Somerset meeting. On Wednesday 19th March 1873 a new racecourse at Knowle, complete with a grandstand capable of accommodating over 3000 people, was opened in the presence of the Prince of Wales. The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, over 4 miles and 24 fences, now contested at the annual Cheltenham Festival in March, was held at Bristol in 1873 when won by Pickles, ridden by Captain Arthur Tempest. The exciting new venture was widely supported by the locals in the early days, but gradually crowd numbers dwindled and the company operating the project began sustaining heavy losses. They first considered winding up procedures in 1878, although the final meeting was staged on Friday 12th March 1880, after which results were so bad that the course closed.
Tuesday 12th May 1829
The Clifton Stakes over 2 miles
1. Little Bo-Peep owned by Mr J.H.Peel
2. Busk owned by Mr I.Daly
3. Pelican owned by Mr Dickinson
4. Maid of Mansfield owned by Mr Thorne
5. Panderus owned by Mr Dilly
6. Profile owned by Mr Hiard
Wednesday 3rd July 1811
Bath 100 Guineas Match over 2 miles
1. Ringdove, 4 year old chestnut colt by Gohanna, owned by Sir J Hawkins
2. Barbara, chestnut filly owned by Mr Peach
Wednesday 3rd July 1811
Bath Sweepstakes of 10 Guineas each over 2 miles
1. Cambric, 4 year old bay colt owned by Mr Goddard
2. Turtle, 4 year old bay colt owned by Mr Cope
3. Chadlington, 3 year old bay colt owned by Mr Rawlinson
4. Hopeless, 4 year old bay colt owned by Mr Taylor
5. Constitution, 3 year old chestnut colt owned by Mr D Faulkner
Wednesday 3rd July 1811
Bath Maiden Plate of 60 Sovereigns over 2 miles
1. Allegro, 4 year old brown colt owned by Mr R Canning
2. Viscountess, 5 year old brown mare owned by Mr Radclyffe
3. Shoe-Strings, 3 year old chestnut filly owned by Mr Cope
4. Ringdove, 4 year old chestnut colt owned by Sir John Hawkins
5. Rail, 3 year old bay colt owned by Sir H Lippincott
6. Ambrosio, aged gelding owned by Mr Bartley
Bath City Members Plate over 2 miles
1. Kangaroo, 3 year old roan colt owned by Sir H Lippincott
2. Hylas, aged bay gelding owned by Mr Sadler
3. Bramble, aged horse owned by Mr Greenhow
4. Starlight, 4 year old owned by Mr D Faulkner
5. Bustard, aged brown horse owned by Mr Calley
6. Buzz, 5 year old bay mare owned by Mr Robins
Thursday 4th July 1811
Bath County Members Plate over 2 miles
1. Cambric, 4 year old owned by Mr Goddard
2. Rail, 3 year old owned by Sir H Lippincott
Thursday 4th July 1811
Bristol Hundred Plate for 100 Sovereigns over 4 miles
1. Cambric, 4 year old owned by Mr Goddard
2. Sunbeam, 6 year old owned by Lord C H Somerset
3. Ringdove, 4 year old owned by Sir John Hawkins
4. Barbara, 4 year old owned by Mr Peach
Friday 5th July 1811
Bath and West of England Club Stakes for 60 Sovereigns over 2 miles
1. Kangaroo, 3 year old owned by Sir H Lippincott
2. Conquestador, 4 year old bay filly owned by Mr Dilly
3. Allegro, 4 year old owned by Mr R Canning
4. Hylas, aged horse owned by Mr Sadler
5. Bustard, aged horse owned by Mr Calley
6. Starlight, 4 year old owned by Mr D Faulkner
7. Sly Dick, 3 year old owned by Mr C Day
Friday 5th July 1811
Bath Handicap Sweepstakes over 1 mile
1. Hephestion, 4 year old bay colt owned by Sir H Lippincott
2. Viscountess, 5 year old owned by Mr Radclyffe
3. Constitution, 3 year old owned by Mr Faulkner
4. Hopeless, 4 year old owned by Mr Taylor
5. Speculation, 5 year old chestnut horse owned by Mr Peach
6. Suck, 5 year old chestnut horse owned by Lord De Dunstanville
7. Bramble, aged horse owned by Mr Greenhow
8. Brown George, 5 year old owned by Mr Bartley
9. Ambrosio, aged horse owned by Mr Jones
