Earliest meeting: March 1711
Final meeting: March 1847
The Belfast suburb of Crumlin is located about 4 miles from the city centre and was once a village in its own right. It first held races of minor significance as early as March 1711, but a more prolonged period of racing took place in the middle of the 19th century. The famous Crumlin Road Gaol opened in 1845 in exactly the same year that the first steeplechases were held at Crumlin. The next year a meeting took place on Saturday 21st March 1846 on the same course as the previous year, opening with the Chichester and Killultagh Hunts Whip over 2 ½ miles which saw Deceiver defeat Kate and Nabocklish, while the Selling race was won by Leela after two heats. Less than a month later a second meeting was held and drew a comment from the Belfast Commercial Chronicle ‘The Belfast sportsmen, notwithstanding that many of them are in the most pitiable state of destitute, never lose an opportunity of being participators in turf amusement’. The meeting was held on Saturday 11th April 1846 on a course a mile and a quarter from Crumlin, opening with a 25 sovereigns a side match in which Kate, ridden by Mr McChance, beat Nabocklish ridden by Mr McLelland. However, the main 3 mile steeplechase resulted in a win for Mr Duff’s Lady Carnousie after a good tussle with Captain Flash. A meeting took place in March 1847 after which no further noteworthy meetings were held. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Chichester Hunt Group, Killultagh Hunt Group |
| Principal Races |
Chichester & Killultagh Hunt Whip, Crumlin Steeplechase |
Saturday 11th April 1846
Crumlin 50 Sovereigns Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Lady Carnousie, aged mare owned by Mr Duff
2. Captain Flash, aged horse owned by Mr Finlay
3. Nabocklish, aged horse owned by Mr Kerns |
| The final meeting took place on March 1847. |
| Course today |
A 3 mile steeplechase course a mile and a quarter from Crumlin. |
| 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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