Earliest meeting: Thursday 2nd May 1799
Final meeting: Saturday 12th May 1804
Brocket Hall, a Hertfordshire Estate extending to 543 acres including Broadwater Lake, was built by Sir Matthew Lambe in 1760. It was situated near the village of Lemsford, close to Welwyn Garden City and some 22 miles from London. It first held a 3 day race meeting from Thursday 2nd to Saturday May 4th 1799 when the Hunters Sweepstake was won by Cudgeller and the Handicap Plate by Madonna owned by Mr Bullock. The Brocket Hall Gold Cup was won consecutively by Quiz, owned by Mr Dawson, from 1802 to 1804. Despite being a popular meeting supported by high powered members of the nobility, the final meeting was held on Saturday 12th May 1804. By the 1830s Brocket Hall was the Parliamentary seat of Lord Melbourne and the Hall was also at one time the home of Lord Palmerston.
Thursday 2nd May, Friday 3rd May & Saturday May 4th 1799
Brocket Hall 1 ¼ mile sweepstakes
1. Oscar owned by Mr Bullock
2. Combatant owned by Sir Charles Bunbury
3. Sadler owned by Mr Bowes
Brocket Hall Hunters Sweepstakes
1. Cudgeller owned by Mr Bowes
2. Assassin owned by Mr Lamb
3. Unnamed bay mare by Escape owned by Mr Delme
Brocket Hall Maidens Sweepstakes over 1 ¼ miles
1. Unnamed bay filly by Pamela owned by Sir Charles Bunbury
2. Cudgeller owned by Mr Bowes
3. Combustible owned by Lord Burford
Brocket Hall Handicap Plate over 1 ¼ miles
1. Madona owned by Mr Bullock
2. Combatant owned by Sir Charles Bunbury
3. Hermia owned by Mr Lamb
Friday 28th to Saturday 29th May 1802
Brocket Hall 50 Plate over 2 miles
1. Creeper owned by Mr Lamb
2. Chippenham owned by Mr Howorth
Brocket Hall Gold Cup over 3 ½ miles
1. Quiz owned by Mr Dawson
2. Lucan owned by Mr Howorth
3. Surprise owned by the Prince of Wales
4. Creeper owned by Mr Lamb
5. Pyrrhus owned by Mr Herbert
6. Fieldfare owned by Mr H.Sitwell
The Brocket Stakes over 2 miles
1. Chippenham owned by Mr Howorth
2. Mittimus owned by the Duke of St Albans
3. Meteor owned by Mr H.Sitwell
Friday 11th to Saturday 12th May 1804
Brocket Hall Gold Cup over 3 ½ miles
1. Quiz owned by Mr Dawson
2. Eleanor owned by Sir Charles Bunbury
3. Aniseed owned by Mr Howorth
4. Nitre owned by Mr D.Radcliffe
5. Unnamed filly by Sir Peter owned by Mr Watson
6. Surprise owned by Mr H.F.Mellish
Brocket Stakes over 2 miles
1. Rosebud owned by Mr Mortimer
The Brocket Hall Gold Cup was won consecutively by Quiz, owned by Mr Dawson, from 1802 to 1804. The meeting was not held after 1804.
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
.jpg)
On the Brocket Hall Estate near the village of Lemsford.
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
