Earliest meeting: Monday 29th July 1782
Final meeting: Wednesday 19th August 1846
The Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove is situated 16 miles north east of Worcester and 13 miles south west of Birmingham. The earliest record of a settlement in the area was in the 9th century when it was known as Bremesgraf. Moving forward almost a millennium, the first race meeting in the town took place at Lickey Park on Monday 29th July 1782. The Bromsgrove Plate was won by Mr Lowe’s Sweet Robin, defeating the 2/1 On shot London Sal in both heats. On the same day the 2 mile Sweepstakes was won by Mr Sander’s Cicero colt, beating Slender and Chance. Meetings were staged intermittently for the next 60 years, with a proplonged period of racing in the 1840s. The two day meeting on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th August 1842 was described by the papers as ‘inferior quality racing’, with the Woodrow Stakes going to Mr Collett’s Rory O’More. Races continued for a further four years until the final card was held on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th August 1846 when the Bromsgrove Stakes went to Mr Eskreet’s Exhort. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr G F Iddins, Mr B Collett, Mr E Price (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Bromsgrove Stakes, Hewill Stakes, Grafton Manor Stakes, Hack Stakes |
Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th July 1782 |
Bromsgrove Plate over 4 miles
1. Sweet Robin owned by Mr Lowe
2. London Sal owned by Mr Bayzand
London Sal was beaten in both heats at 1-2 favourite.
Bromsgrove 2 mile Sweepstake
1. Unnamed colt by Cicero owned by Mr Sanders
2. Slender owned by Mr Tombs
3. Chance owned by Mr Norcop |
Tuesday 18th August 1846 |
The Bromsgrove Stakes over 2 miles
1. Exhort owned by Mr Eskreet
2. Unnamed colt by Chit-Chat owned by Mr T Williams
3. Master Downes owned by Mr W Smith
The Hewill Stakes over 2 miles
1. Florine owned by Mr Pearce
2. Chester owned by Mr Davenport
3. Unnamed filly by Barnacles owned by Mr Taylor
The Grafton Manor Stakes over 2 miles
1. Roebuck owned by Mr Cooper
2. Exhort owned by Mr Eskreet
The Hack Stakes over a mile
1. Elei owned by Mr Phillips
2. Watt Tyler owned by Mr Davis
3. Joe Banks owned by Mr Pearce |
| The final meeting took place on Wednesday 19th August 1846. |
| Course today |
On Lickey Park. |
| 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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