The earliest record of racing in the vicinity of Huntingdon was in 1602 at Sapley, while in 1773 Flat race meetings were staged at Port Holme. Indeed, race meetings which also included Galloway pony races, were held in the early part of the 18th century as evidenced by the Stamford Mercury extract shown below. Racing continued in this area until meetings transferred to nearby Water Meadows, the site of the present course, in 1886. The inaugural steeplechase meeting at the Brampton course took place on Easter Monday in 1886, opening with a three mile chase which was won by Catherine the Great. In 1920 the Huntingdon Steeplechase Group was formed, with Huntingdon racecourse managed successfully by Bob Lenton for 25 years, after which Hugo Bevan took over from 1974. The principal race is the Peterborough Chase (full results shown below), a Grade 2 National Hunt Chase over 2 miles 4 1/2 furlongs and 16 fences. It was introduced on Tuesday 2nd December 1969, but at that time, and until the 1977 running, it was over 3 miles. Currently the course hosts 17 fixtures annually.
The newspaper extract shown below advertises the meeting held on Tuesday 31st August 1725 and is shown courtesy of the British Newspaper Online.
The earliest recorded races in Cambridge were in 1841 to celebrate the Coronation, but it was to be a further 16 years before racing returned. That first meeting on Wednesday 30th June 1841 was included in Baily's Racing Register when the Coronation Plate, once round the course, was won by Mr Rogers’s Jessica at the expense of Mr J Smith’s Daniel. Two years later, at the meeting on Tuesday 18th July 1843 the Cambridge Town Plate went to Mr Poole’s Rapture, while the prestigious Cambridge Stakes was won by Lord W Powlett’s Nelly. As befits the academic institution, Cambridge University students held their own Steeplechase annually, called The Whip. The meetings were held close to Cambridge in Cottenham and results were regularly recorded in the Sporting Magazine. The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, now contested at the annual Cheltenham Festival in March, was held at Cottenham twice in the 1870s. After the February 1912 meeting there was a lapse in ‘recognised’ meetings at the course, particularly during the War years, and racing only returned to Cambridge for the November 1924 meeting. The final meeting took place on Thursday 7th May 1925.
Tuesday 18th July 1843
The Cambridge Stakes over 1 ¼ miles
1. Nelly owned by Lord W Powlett
2. Ends and Odds owned by Mr Pettit
3. Rapture owned by Mr Poole
1969-77 The inaugural running of the Peterborough Chase was on Tuesday 2nd December 1969 over 3 miles
From 1978 onwards the Peterborough Chase was run over 2 miles 4 ½ furlongs
1978 Peterborough Chase was won by Purdo trained by Nick Gaselee and ridden by Bob Davies
1979 Peterborough Chase was won by Chumson trained by Fred Winter and ridden by Oliver Sherwood
1980 Peterborough Chase was won by Border Incident trained by Richard Head and ridden by Ron Barry
1981 Peterborough Chase was won by Wayward Lad trained by Michael Dickinson and ridden by Robert Earnshaw
1982 Peterborough Chase was abandoned due to fog
1983 Peterborough Chase was won by Wayward Lad trained by Michael Dickinson and ridden by Robert Earnshaw
1984 Peterborough Chase was won by Carved Opal trained by Fred Winter and ridden by John Francome
1985 Peterborough Chase was won by The Mighty Mac trained by Mrs Monica Dickinson and ridden by Graham Bradley
1986 Peterborough Chase was won by Western Sunset trained by Tim Forster and ridden by Hywel Davies
1987 Peterborough Chase was won by Very Promising trained by David Nicholson and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1988 Peterborough Chase was won by Townley Stone trained by John Webber and ridden by George Mernagh
1989 Peterborough Chase was won by Clever Folly trained by Gordon W Richards and ridden by Neale Doughty
The front cover/ principal races from this rare racecard are provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.
1990 Peterborough Chase was won by Pegwell Bay trained by Tim Forster and ridden by Jamie Railton
1991 Peterborough Chase was won by Sabin du Loir trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Peter Scudamore
1992 Peterborough Chase was won by Remittance Man trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1993 Peterborough Chase was won by Travado trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Jamie Osborne
1994 Peterborough Chase was won by Martha’s Son trained by Tim Forster and ridden by Rodney Farrant
1995 Peterborough Chase was won by Travado trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1996 Peterborough Chase was won by Dublin Flyer trained by Tim Forster and ridden by Brendan Powell
1997 Peterborough Chase was won by One Man trained by Gordon W Richards and ridden by Richard Dunwoody
1998 Peterborough Chase was won by Edredon Bleu trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Jim Culloty
1999 Peterborough Chase was won by Edredon Bleu trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Jim Culloty
2000 Peterborough Chase was won by Edredon Bleu trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Jim Culloty
2001 Peterborough Chase was won by Edredon Bleu trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Norman Williamson
2002 Peterborough Chase was won by Best Mate trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Jim Culloty
2003 Peterborough Chase was won by Jair du Cochet trained by Guillaume Macaire and ridden by Jacques Ricou
2004 Peterborough Chase was won by Le Roi Miguel trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh
2005 Peterborough Chase was won by Impek trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Tony McCoy
2006 Peterborough Chase was won by Racing Demon trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Graham Lee
2007 Peterborough Chase was won by Racing Demon trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Tony McCoy
2008 Peterborough Chase was won by Monet’s Garden trained by Nicky Richards and ridden by Davy Condon
2009 Peterborough Chase was won by Deep Purple trained by Evan Williams and ridden by Paul Moloney
2010 Peterborough Chase (run at Newbury) was won by Tartak trained by Tom George and ridden by Paddy Brennan
2011 Peterborough Chase was won by Gauvain trained by Nick Williams and ridden by Noel Fehily
2012 Peterborough Chase (run at Kempton) was won by Menorah trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson
2013 Peterborough Chase was won by Riverside Theatre trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty
2014 Peterborough Chase was won by Wishful Thinking trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson
2015 Peterborough Chase was won by Al Ferof trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by Harry Skelton
2016 Peterborough Chase was won by Josses Hill trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Noel Fehily
2017 Peterborough Chase (run at Taunton after Huntingdon was abandoned) was Top Notch trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Daryl Jacob
