Although the earliest record of racing near Warwick was in 1714, the first occasion results were included in Baily’s Racing Register was from the meeting held between 13th and 15th August 1739, with results shown below. However, it was not until the 1750s that results began being widely reported. A two day meeting took place on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th August 1754 featuring a £50 purse on each day; a hunters’ race on day one and a conditions race on day two. A handbill from 1783 indicated that two races were on the card on 22nd August 1783, with entries registered at the Cross Keys Inn on Castle Street. Ten years later Warwick hosted its first King’s Plate on Tuesday 3rd September 1793 when Mr Annesley’s No Pretender beat Plowboy (sic) and Kezia. Subscription tickets were sold in 1815 allowing members to attend meetings for life, with the finance used to erect the first grandstand. Up to 1845 fixtures had been predominantly flat races, but this year steeplechase racing was introduced, and just two years later Chandler jumped what was reported as 39 feet to clear the formidable brook and four fallen horses. Clearly the experience was good preparation for facing the Aintree fences because he won the Grand National in 1848. In 1886 the Warwick Race Club Syndicate was formed and bought the course. Racing ceased during both World Wars, although immediately afterwards Warwick Corporation purchased the course from the Races Syndicate, their ownership lasting over twenty years before Racecourse Holdings Trust took charge in 1967. Currently the course hosts 17 fixtures annually.
Monday 13th August 1739
Warwick £50 Plate, each carrying 12st
1. Looby, owned by Mr Williams Wynn walked over
Wednesday 15th August 1739
Warwick £20 Free Plate
1. Young Cartouch, chestnut horse owned by Lord Portmore
2. Bumper, chestnut horse owned by Mr Welburn
3. Spanker, chestnut horse owned by Mr Williams Wynn
Tuesday 19th August 1740
Warwick 50 Guineas 6 year old Plate
1. Shepherdess, grey mare owned by Mr Tuting
2. Sprightly, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Clark
Wednesday 20th August 1740
Warwick 50 Guineas Free Plate
1. Black Chance owned by Mr Williams
2. Unnamed bay gelding owned by Mr Bingham
Tuesday 11th August 1741
Warwick £50 Plate
1. Fox, 6 year old bay horse owned by Mr Ebourn
2. Little-Thought-On, chestnut horse owned by Mr Griswould
3. Unnamed 6 year old grey mare owned by Mr Peasland
4. Moorcock, bay horse owned by Mr Wardle
5. Unnamed 6 year old grey gelding owned by Mr Hawkin
6. Ball, bay horse owned by the Duke of Devonshire
Coventry is in the West Midlands, although historically it has been part of Warwickshire, and is England’s tenth largest city. The first time results of races held in the city were reported was in 1731 when Baily’s Racing Register included the meeting. It was a 3 day meeting extending from Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th June 1731, with the prestigious Prince of Wales Purse won by Lord Halifax’s Crispin. A century later the Spring Meeting took place on Thursday 29th March 1838 on an elongated oval course of circumference 9 furlongs with a straight run in of 2 ½ furlongs. Sprint races were contested on the last half mile and had a slight uphill finish. The principal race was the Tally-Ho Stakes which went to Goldicote ridden by the famous Captain Becher. On Wednesday 11th March 1846 there was a fair tussle between two prominent owners in the City Handicap over 2 miles. In the end Lord Brookes’ Roebuck got the better of Sir C J Cockerell’s Niobe. The final meeting took place on Tuesday 17th October 1876.
Wednesday 27th June 1731
His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales Purse
1. Crispin owned by Lord Halifax
2. Sloven owned by Mr Neale
3. Prince of Wales owned by Mr Cornwall
The rare handbill shown below is provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.
The principal race is the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices’ Chase over 2 miles which is run each February. It is named after the 16th Earl of Warwick who played a prominent role in the War of the Roses and was nicknamed ‘Kingmaker’. The race held its inaugural running in 1991 when Anti Matter was successful for Martin Pipe and Peter Scudamore. Full results are shown below.
1991 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Anti Matter, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Peter Scudamore.
1992 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Milford Quay, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Peter Scudamore.
1993 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Flashthecash, trained by Toby Balding and ridden by Adrian Maguire.
1994 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Boscean Chieftain, trained by Jackie Retter and ridden by Richard Dunwoody.
1995 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was not contested
1996 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Arctic Kinsman, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by Carl Llewellyn.
1997 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Mulligan, trained by David Nicholson and ridden by Adrian Maguire.
1998 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Lake Kariba, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Richard Johnson.
1999 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Flagship Uberalles, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Robert Thornton.
2000 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Cenkos, trained by Oliver Sherwood and ridden by Jimmy McCarthy.
2001 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Whitenzo, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Joe Tizzard.
2002 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Armaturk, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Timmy Murphy.
2003 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was not contested
2004 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was not contested
2005 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Kadount, trained by Oliver Alan King and ridden by Robert Thornton.
2006 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Voy Por Ustedes, trained by Alan King and ridden by Robert Thornton.
2007 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Ursis, trained by Steve Gollings and ridden by Dominic Elsworth.
2008 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Kruguyrova, trained by Charlie Egerton and ridden by Jimmy McCarthy.
2009 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Gauvain, trained by Charlie Mann and ridden by Noel Fehily.
2010 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Long Run, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen.
2011 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Finian’s Rainbow, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Andrew Tinkler.
2012 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was not contested
2013 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Majala, trained by Tom George and ridden by Jason Maguire.
2014 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Balder Success, trained by Alan King and ridden by Wayne Hutchinson.
2015 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Vibrato Valtat, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies.
2016 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Violet Dancer, trained by Gary Moore and ridden by Jamie Moore.
2017 The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase was won by Flying Angel, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by Willie Twiston-Davies.
