Earliest meeting: Wednesday 31st August 1768
Final meeting: Thursday 4th May 1939
The small Norman market town of Cowbridge, situated just 7 miles west of Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan, first held races on Wednesday 31st August 1768. The two day meeting opened with a Purse for 4 year olds run in heats which saw Mr Hopkin’s Lime Carrier defeat Gimcrack and Mr Symmonds’s chestnut colt. The next day a two race programme began with a Free Purse in which Mr Hanbury’s Virgin beat South East and Pateraro, while the concluding race, restricted to Welsh horses, was won by Mr Jones’s bay horse General. Such was the popularity of the meeting that it was extended to four days the next year, stretching from Wednesday 4th to Saturday 7th October 1769. Races on the first three days were restricted to Glamorgan bred horses, Mr Harris’s Choice winning on day one, Mr Edmondes’s Gimcrack on day two, and Mr Jenkin’s Fair Rachael on day three. On the concluding day an Open Handicap sent punters home happy when the 3/2 favourite (6/4 in today’s money) Ranthos defeated Pigmy and Wilkes. Flat races took place intermittently for the next 87 years under various names including Glamorgan, Cowbridge and Glamorganshire on a course at Stalling Down. The meeting on Wednesday 7th November 1855 was dominated by Captain Erskine and Mr T Parr. The opening Trial Stakes was won by Mr T Parr’s Challow Boy who got the better of Captain Erskine’s Donna. The Borough Stakes was also captured by Mr T Parr with Fatalist, while the Consolation Handicap went to Captain Erskine with Donna. Although the final Flat meeting took place on Wednesday 7th November 1855, National Hunt meetings, billed as Glamorgan Hunt, continued to operate at Penlline until Thursday 4th May 1939. |
John and Robert Christopher Bradley (Cardiff and Cowbridge) 1780-1786
John Bradley, proprietor of the Angel Hotel in Cardiff towards the end of the 18th century and early years of the 19th century, had an interest in horse racing. Races advertised as 'Glamorganshire Races' were certainly taking place by the 1780s and seemed to alternate between Cardiff and Cowbridge, the Cardiff Races taking place on Great Heath, while the Cowbridge Races were staged at Stalling Down. In the odd numbered years, beginning in 1781, Cowbridge held the meeting, with the officials being Stewards John Matthews and John Lewellen, while the Clerk of the Course was John Bradley. Results from the 1781 meeting were included in the Racing Calendar, with the meeting taking place on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th October 1781. In an advertisement on 27th May 1782 a meeting broadcast in Cardiff names John Bradley as Clerk of the Course at Glamorgan Racecourse, the races being held that year at Great Heath, Cardiff on 31st July 1782 and 1st August. Entries for those races had to be made at the Red House in Cardiff some days before the meeting. In June 1782 Bradley advertised his establishment, the Angel Hotel, Cardiff, as a suitable place to stay, to stable horses and coaches prior to the meeting. Bradley stated,' A substantial tenant will meet with proper encouragement and will be suited with convenient grounds. Any coming-in tenant will be supplied with post-chaises, at a fair appraisal.' Any applicants for the 1783 Glamorgan Races had to be made to the Angel Inn, Cardiff. The 1784 meeting was held at Cardiff, with John Bradley again acting as Clerk of the Course. But he also hosted the ordinary each day at his Angel Inn, with a further one taking place at the Red House Inn. The traditional end of races Ball was staged at the Angel Inn. The Glamorgan meeting of 1785 was scheduled to take place at Stalling Down near Cowbridge, with applications being made to the Bear Inn, Cowbridge, leased at that point by Robert Christopher Bradley, brother of John. Hence, the brothers seemed to have a monopoly on all things associated with Glamorgan Races, whether held in Cardiff or Cowbridge. After the 1784 meeting further Racing Calendars did not mention Cardiff or Cowbridge, but included results under the name Glamorgan. In 1785 the Glamorganshire Races, extended to 3 days, were scheduled to take place from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd July 1785 on Stalling Downs, with John Bradley remaining as Clerk of the Course. However, two noticeable changes were that the Stewards were now Henry Knight and Herbert Hurst, and that entries, Ordinaries and the Ball were held at the Bear Inn, Cowbridge owned by Richard Christopher Bradley.
All results for the meetings from 1781 to 1786 are available in the Racing Calendars of each year, but at no stage were any of the horses owned by John or Richard Bradley. It seemed a purely commercial venture for the Innkeepers to get involved with the races. Furthermore, no further reference is made about John or Richard Bradley after the 1785 meeting. |
Wednesday 7th November 1855 |
The Trial Selling Stakes over 1 ¼ miles
1. Challow Boy owned by Mr T Parr
2. Donna owned by Captain Erskine
3. Eden owned by Mr Vivian
The Glamorganshire Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Bright Phoebus owned by Mr Cartwright
2. Fatalist owned by Mr T Parr
3. Freckle owned by Mr Brayley
The Borough Stakes over a mile
1. Fatalist owned by Mr T Parr
2. Liberty owned by Mr Davey
3. Tower owned by Mr H Lewis
The Consolation Handicap over 1 ¼ miles
1. Donna owned by Captain Erskine
2. Helene owned by Mr Lewis
3. Penelope owned by Mr Jarvis |
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 |
