Earliest meeting: Tuesday 29th June 1773
Final meeting: Friday 1st July 1774
The County Kilkenny market town of Callan is located 10 miles south of Kilkenny, close to the border with Tipperary. It first staged an extended series of races from Tuesday 29th June to Friday 2nd July 1773, the meeting opening with a disappointing Hunters race where the only qualifier was Mr Heany’s gelding who was allowed to walk over. The next day the race was restricted to Irish bred horses and was won by Mr Garret Byrne’s grey gelding who overcame Mr James Strangeway’s Collier. A Give and Take Handicap followed on Thursday which saw Hemp beat Leinster Lass, but the best race of the week was on the final day when a Sweepstake was claimed by William Holdbrook’s gelding. The next year a 4 day meeting took place from Tuesday 28th June to Friday 1st July with the most valuable race, the Purse of Gold, falling to Mr J Westrop’s Second. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr James Strangeway, Mr William Holdbrook |
| Principal Races |
Callan Give and Take Handicap, Callan Sweepstake |
Friday 2nd July 1773
Callan Sweepstake
1. Unnamed gelding owned by Mr William Holdbrook
2. Collier, chestnut gelding owned by Mr James Strangeway
3. Unnamed grey gelding owned by Mr William Robinson |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 1st July 1774. |
| Course today |
On common land on the edge of the town. |
| 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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