Earliest meeting: Thursday 22nd April 1875
Final meeting: Thursday 15th April 1880
The town of Forfar, in Angus, dates back to Roman times and had its own castle. It is a traditional market town surrounded by agricultural land and open countryside, but also a popular tourist area with the local glens used by hill-walkers. On the outskirts of the town is Lour Farm extending to over 2,000 acres of arable production land. In the latter part of the 19th century Forfarshire races were held on the Farm belonging to Captain Carnegie, beginning on Thursday 22nd April 1875. The course, over good hunting ground, was marked out in front of Lour House, welcoming a crowd in excess of 6000. The meeting began with the Forfarshire Hunt Steeplechase over 2 ½ miles in which eleven faced the starter. Fairy Queen, owned by Mr Carnegie, was first passed the post in front of Daisy (Mr E W Smith) and Vanity (Mr Wilkie). However, the mare was disqualified by the judges, her rider having dismounted before entering the weighing-in paddock. The Hunters’ Flat Race went to Dr Dickson’s Alvadora, at the expense of Kilmarnock and Buck, while the Burgh Plate, valued at £40, was won by Mr Clark’s Nemesis. The principal race, the Fofar Town Plate over 2 ½ miles, saw Mr Robertson’s Midge make all to defeat Vanity and Extravagance. The meeting concluded with a Farmers’ Steeplechase, won by the previously disqualified Fairy Queen, and a Consolation Stakes which went to Captain Carnegie’s Peter. Four years later the meeting on Thursday 24th April 1879 was well attended, opening with the Lour Flat Race which was won by Mr Liveston’s Squib. The feature event, the Town Plate, saw Deception triumph for his owner Mr Mitchell. Racing lasted just one more year, finishing with a meeting on Thursday 15th April 1880 |
Thursday 24th April 1879
Forfar Town Plate over 3 miles
1. Deception, chestnut mare owned by Mr Mitchell
2. Douglas, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Baxter
3. Gauntlet, bay gelding owned by Mr Cochran |
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 |
