Earliest meeting: Tuesday 22nd May 1866
Final meeting: Tuesday 18th May 1869
The Cornish town of St Columb Major is situated 7 miles south west of Wadebridge and just 6 miles east of Newquay. Along with the smaller St Columb Minor, they today boast a population of just over 5000, but back in the mid 1800s the town was able to hold its own race meetings, the first of which took place on Tuesday 22nd May 1866 on the New Downs. The Duke of Cornwall’s Plate proved to be a disappointment enabling Mr Calile’s Allow Me to merely walk over, while the Trewan Stakes went to Mr Blight’s Rattlesnake. Unfortunately the meeting ended in disaster when Mr Hore attempted to shoot a number of racegoers with his pistol, but he was so drunk that he shot himself twice, although not fatally. Meetings were staged for each of the next 3 years until a final card took place on Tuesday 18th May 1869. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Duke of Cornwall, Mr Carlile |
| Principal Races |
Truro Stakes, Saint Austell Steeplechase, Duke of Cornwall’s Plate |
Tuesday 22nd May 1866
Saint Austell Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Jessie, grey mare owned by Mr Vincent
2. Little Tommy, bay gelding owned by Mr Grigg
3. Haidee, aged horse owned by Mr C Pollard |
The final meeting took place on 18th May 1869. |
| Course today |
On the New Downs at St Columb. |
| 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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