Earliest meeting: Thursday 11th July 1839
Final meeting: Friday 9th July 1841
Eye, derived from Island, is a small Suffolk market town with a glorious history standing on the River Dove. It can boast a church built prior to 1066 and an impressive Castle which was partially destroyed in a war of 1173. Although the Sporting Magazine of 1840 reported the first race meeting taking place in July 1840, the Norfolk Weekly News reported an earlier meeting having taking place on Thursday 11th July 1839. It is not surprising that meetings were irregular given that, at times, Eye was almost entirely surrounded by water, and the meeting only survived two more years. Entries for all meetings were made at the White Lion Inn, with the races held on Cranby Green. The final meeting, a two day affair, took place on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th July 1841. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Captain Codrington, Mr Land, Mr Bircham, Mr Baker |
| Principal Races |
Eye Town Stakes, Hack Stakes, Hunters Stakes |
Wednesday 8th July 1840 |
The Eye Town Stakes over 2 miles
1. Diana owned by Mr Bircham
2. Daniel owned by Mr Nurse
The Hack Stakes over 2 miles
1. Black Bess owned by Mr Baker
The Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Foxhunter owned by Mr Land
2. Trim owned by Mr Syer
3. Kate Nickleby owned by Mr Goldspink |
Thursday 8th July to Friday 9th 1841 |
The Eye Town Stakes over 2 miles
1. Aeolian owned by Mr T.Sayer
2. Daniel owned by Mr Hill
3. Day Star owned by Mr W.Coleman
4. Negative owned by Captain Codrington
5. Lumley owned by Mr H.Smith
The Eye Hunters Stakes over 2 miles and a distance
1. Martinet owned by Mr Brett
2. Romp owned by Mr Land |
| The final meeting was a two day meeting which took place on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th July 1841. The meeting was included in Baily's Racing Register and results are shown above. |
| Course today |
Cranby Green |
| 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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