Earliest meeting: Monday 26th September 1748
Final meeting: Thursday 17th September 1835
The north London borough of Enfield was once just a small market town in Middlesex on the edge of Epping Forest. It is difficult to imagine that today’s built up area was once open countryside on which race meetings were held. The first two day meeting was recorded in John Cheny's 1748 Racing Calendar when a meeting was staged on Monday 26th September 1748, while a further meeting took place on Mill Marsh on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th September 1752 when the £50 Weight for Age Handicap was won by Mr Roger’s Sedbury, winning both heats against the more fancied Duchess owned by the Duke of Richmond. The next day a £50 Hunters Stakes went to Sir John Elvill’s Sedgley. The September 1762 meeting proved beneficial for Lord Portmore who took the Weight for Age Handicap with Bosphorus and the Give and Take Handicap with Tiney. At the three day meeting from Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th September 1794 a ‘future bookmaker’ lost when Mr Ladbroke’s Neapolitan was beaten by Misfortune in the Enfield Plate and by Helmet in the Open Purse. Meetings continued to be well supported until the final card took place on Thursday 17th September 1835. In the latter part of the 19th century racing returned to Enfield in the form of steeplechasing on a course at Holly Hill, with entries made at the Rising Sun Hotel.
Monday 26th September 1748
Enfield £50 Prize for horses carrying 12 stone
1. UNNAMED Bay gelding owned by Mr Adams 3 1 1
2. UNNAMED Chestnut gelding owned by Mr Foster 1 2 2
3. UNNAMED Bay mare owned by Mr Neale 2 dist
4. UNNAMED Bay mare owned by Mr Merrick 4 dist
18th September 1752
Enfield £50 Weight for Age Purse
1. Sedbury, chestnut horse owned by Mr Rogers 1 1
2. Pickle, bay horse owned by Mr Cox 3 2
3. Dutchess, grey mare owned by the Duke of Hamilton 2 dist
19th September 1752
Enfield £50 Hunters Stakes
1. Sedgley, chestnut gelding owned by Sir John Elvill 3 2 1
2. Careless, black gelding owned by Mr Southcoat 1 1
3. Fox-Hunter, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Squire4 4 2
Monday 13th to Tuesday 14th September 1762
Enfield 2 mile Weight for Age Handicap
1. Bosphorus owned by Lord Portmore
2. Bumper owned by Mr Adams
3. Archer owned by Mr Quick
Enfield Give and Take run over 2 miles
1. Tiney owned by Lord Portmore
2. Lightfoot owned by Mr Quick
3. Plough Boy owned by Mr Rogers
Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th September 1794
Enfield Open Purse over 4 miles
1. Helmet owned by Mr Taylor
2. Degville owned by Mr Crosier
3. Neapolitan owned by Mr Ladbroke
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
