Earliest meeting: Thursday 15th August 1833
Final meeting: Friday 21st August 1840
Burnley is a market town in Lancashire equidistant from Manchester to the south and Preston to the west. In medieval times it consisted of farm houses built around a manor house on the edge of a royal forest, and was still surrounded by open countryside in the early 19th century when it staged horse racing. The first 2 day meeting took place on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th August 1833 at Turf Moor, which is now the home of the football club, when the Hebergham-Eaves Stakes over 2 miles saw Mr Ogden’s Priscilla just touched off by Brown Stout, while the Burnley Stakes was won by Mr Richardson’s Augusta. By 1836 the meeting had moved to Brunshaw, now a busy thoroughfare, and extended to a 3 day meeting beginning on Thursday 18th August and finishing on Saturday. The feature of the meeting, the Town of Colne Plate over 2 miles was won appropriately enough by Mr Barrow’s Burnley. The last course to be used was at Healey Height, now open ground, when in August 1839 the meeting celebrated the War efforts of its Garrison by holding the Burnley Garrison Stakes, while the final meeting took place the next year on Friday 21st August 1840 but was poorly attended.
Thursday 15th & Friday 16th August 1833
The Burnley Stakes over 2 miles
1. Augusta owned by Mr T Richardson
2. Storm owned by Mr Hudson
3. Prince owned by Mr G Crompton
The Tradesmen’s Stakes over 2 miles
1. Unnamed colt by Jerry owned by Mr T Richardson
2. Brown Stout owned by Mr Walker
3. Sarah owned by Mr Ogden
The Hebergham-Eaves Stakes over 2 miles
1. Brown Stout owned by Mr Parson
2. Priscilla owned by Mr Ogden
3. Storm owned by Mr Hudson
Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th August 1836
Burnley Gold Cup over 2 miles
1. Catherina owned by Mr Barrow
2. Amurath owned by Lord Stanley
3. Lady Blessington owned by Mr Whitaker
Burnley Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Sevilia owned by Mr Howarth
2. Birdcatcher owned by Mr R Cooke
3. Lady Elizabeth owned by Mr Richardson
Town of Colne Plate over 2 miles
1. Burnley owned by Mr Barrow
2. Helen Percy owned by Mr Thompson
3. Estafette owned by Mr Allen
Burnley Free Handicap over 1 ½ miles
1. Prince owned by Mr Dawson
2. Lady Blessington owned by Mr Whitaker
3. Cashier owned by Mr Allanson
I am grateful to David Cooke for the rare racecard shown below from a 3-day meeting at Burnley Racecourse. Although his ancestor had a runner, Birdcatcher, in the Sweepstake on Friday 19th August 1836 it was withdrawn. However, Birdcatcher did come 4th in the Hunters Stakes the day before, and 4th in the Sweepstake the day after.
Friday 19th August 1836
Sweepstake
1. FINESSE bay mare owned by H S Thompson and ridden by B Thompson 1 1
2. BEPPO chestnut gelding owned by Mr Richardson 2 2
3. SEVILLIA chestnut filly owned by Mr Haworth 4 3
4. WILL O'THE WISP chestnut gelding owned by Mr Wilby 3 4
5. MISS FANNY chestnut mare owned by Mr Armstrong 5 wdr
James Whyte’s History of the British Turf notes that the Lancashire town of Burnley holds 2 days racing a year and records the middle of August 1839 races as:-
Burnley Garrison Officers Stakes;
Burnley Gold Cup;
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
