Earliest meeting: Thursday 28th March 1822
Final meeting: Thursday 6th April 1826
Exton Park near Oakham in Rutland has existed since the 12th century, and Exton Hall within the estate has been the family home of the Noel family for over 400 years. The Exton Park Club was formed in 1822 and races were first held on the Park on Thursday 28th March 1822 on a course described as extremely flat. As the hunting season grew to a close there was the need to find an alternative form of entertainment. Traditionally Hunt Members first attended Croxton Races and then went on to Exton Park races. On Thursday 15th April 1824 the stewards were Sir Gerard Noel, the Honourable Colonel Lowther and General Grosvenor, and the opening race, the Noel Stakes, was won by Mr Platel’s Gap. Later in the day the Ranksborough Stakes saw The Doctor, for Mr Foster, defeat Woodcock. The final meeting took place on Thursday 6th April 1826 when the Noel Stakes was won by Sir G Noel on Partner, beating Olive, while the Billesdon Coplow Stakes went to Mr Story’s Waxlight by a walk over. Although races were planned for the next year, a ‘family affliction’ caused them to be postponed indefinitely.
Noel Stakes over 1 mile
- Gap owned by Mr Platel
- Unnamed filly by Blucher owned by General Grosvenor
Ranksborough Stakes for 10 sovereigns
- The Doctor owned by Mr Foster
- Woodcock owned by Mr Sumner
Cottesmore Stakes over 2 miles
- Twangdella owned by Lord Muncaster
- The Abbot owned by Mr Longden
- Knicker Bocker owned by Mr Bailey
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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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:-
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
