Earliest meeting: Thursday 17th March 1881
Final meeting: Friday 23rd August 1889
Today Four Oaks is a residential area of Sutton Coldfield on the northern and eastern borders of Sutton Park. However, back in the 17th century Henry Folliott bought 60 acres of woodland and built Four Oaks Hall. Two centuries later Sutton Park Racecourse, which had operated since the 1830s, closed its gates for the final time on Wednesday 20th August 1879 leaving a gap in the racing market and a desire for a new project by Clerk of the Course John Sheldon. His grand project was to purchase nearly 250 acres of nearby Four Oaks Park from Sir John Hartopp and create one of the finest racecourses in the country. It cost him £40,000, which is over £5 million in today’s money, to develop a 1½ mile course complete with five superb grandstands capable of entertaining up to 3000 people. Annual membership badges were sold and the first two day meeting took place on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th March 1881. Almost 20,000 people witnessed Pride of Prussia land the principal race, the Grand National Hunt Steeplechase, while Quibble won the Birmingham Grand Annual Chase. Four Oaks Park was unusual for its day in offering both Flat and National Hunt racing, and at the meeting on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th June 1881 the brilliant jockey Fred Archer rode eight winners spread over the two days. The next year a problem arose at the track which the Stewards dealt with firmly but fairly. Mr Abington, real name George Alexander Baird, was a very wealthy young man who had inherited the wealth his father had amassed from the iron industry. He was a reckless jockey and on Tuesday 11th April 1882 rode Billy Banks to victory against Lord Harrington’s Gartmore, only to lose the race for not making the correct weight. Worse was to come because the good Lord reported him to the Stewards for making inappropriate remarks and they correctly decided to pass the incident on to the National Hunt Committee who warned Mr Abington off for two years. George Baird never really recovered from the incident and continued gambling and drinking heavily. He did later return to ride at Four Oaks in 1888, but he died at the young age of 31. Racing continued after the 1882 incident for a further 7 years, but the crowd sizes were insufficient to maintain such a magnificent racecourse, each year bringing new financial worries. The final two day meeting was held on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd August 1889, with a poor four runner affair won by The Carronald winding up proceedings. Almost exactly a year later, on 28th August 1890, Four Oaks Hall, land and racecourse were all sold at a loss and part of the land was used to buld the prestigious houses on the Four Oaks Hall Estate.
Thursday 17th March 1881
Grand National Hunt Steeplechase over 4 miles F13
1. Pride of Prussia, 5 year old owned by Mr Talbot
2. Llanfrechfa, 6 year old owned by Mr Jenkins
3. Baker Pacha, aged horse owned by Mr Herbert Wood
Betting: 5/2 Llanfrechfa, 5/2 Pride of Prussia, 9/2 Baker Pacha
The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, over 4 miles and 24 fences, is now contested at the annual Cheltenham Festival in March, but in 1881 it was held at Four Oaks Park, and the result is shown below.
1881 Pride of Prussia ridden by Ted Wilson, the second of his 4 wins.
Thursday 17th March 1881
Birmingham Grand Annual Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Quibble, brown mare owned by Hon C Howard and ridden by J Adams
2. Buridan, aged gelding owned by Mr A Yates and ridden by Childs
3. Highland Mary, 6 year old mare owned by Mr W Burton and ridden by Mr E P Wilson
Betting: 9/4 Highland Mary, 4/1 Buridan, 11/2 Quibble
Friday 18th March 1881
Four Oaks National Handicap Hurdle Plate over 2 miles and 8 flights
Worth 500 sovereigns (Equivalent to £55,500 in 2017)
1. Beauchamp II, chestnut gelding owned by Mr W W Lewison and ridden by Mr G Moore
2. Harbinger, aged gelding owned by Mr F Gretton and ridden by Mr A Coventry
3. Xavier, 5 year old owned by the Duke of Montrose and ridden by D Canavan
Betting: 9/4 George Albert. 6/1 Beauchamp II and Gil Blas, 100/8 Harbinger
FRED ARCHER NOTCHES 8 WINS
Tuesday 28th June 1881
Grendon Welter Handicap over a mile
Sword Dance owned by Lord Bradford 8/11 fav
All-Aged Selling Plate over 5 furlongs
Red Cross Knight owned by Mr W Smith 6/5 fav
Four Oaks Two Year Old Plate over 5 furlongs
Wenlock owned by Mr Jardine 5/1
Aston Selling Welter Plate over 5 furlongs
The Romany King owned by Mr Mackenzie 1/3 fav
Town Handicap Plate over 5 furlongs
Roscius owned by Mr J Johnson 5/4 fav
Wednesday 29th June 1881
The Park Plate over 6 furlongs
Tower and Sword owned by Colonel Forester 1/10 fav
Manor Selling Welter Handicap Plate over 5 furlongs
The Romany King owned by Mr Golding 2/5 fav
The Walmley Plate over 5 furlongs
Red Cross Knight owned by Mr W Smith 2/5 fav
Tuesday 11th April 1882
Four Oaks Selling Hunters Flat Race over 2 miles
1. Master John, brown gelding owned by Mr J Robinson and ridden by Mr E P Wilson
Disqualified Evenley owned by Mr Peyton
Disqualified Gartmore owned by Lord Harrington
Disqualified Billy Banks owned by Mr Abington
Betting 4/6 Master John, 2/1 Evenley, 4/1 Billy Banks.
Commentary: Billy Banks and Evenley shared the lead for the first mile before Billy Banks strode on and won comfortably by 8 lengths from Evenley and Gartmore. However, all 3 were disqualified for not making the correct weight, the race being awarded to Master John.
March 26th 1883
Mile Selling 100 Guineas Welter Plate over a mile
1. Emerson, bay colt owned by Mr W Harvey and ridden by Giles
2. Honour Bright, 4 year old owned by Mr Cocksworth and ridden by Wetherall
3. Ate, 3 year old owned by Mr E Weever and ridden by Brooks
Betting: 6/4 Emerson, 5/2 Honour Bright, 3/1 Lady May
March 27th 1883
Hollyhurst Handicap Plate over 5 furlongs
1. Spooney, bay colt owned by Captain Pearson and ridden by Lemaire
2. Emerson, bay colt owned by Mr W Harvey and ridden by Giles
3. Nuneham, bay filly owned by Mr Hodgman and ridden by Cranham
Betting: 2/1 Emerson, 2/1 Oxford Belle, 5/2 Spooney
Monday 14th April 1884
Paget Handicap Plate of 200 Guineas over 5 furlongs
1. Herald, aged gelding owned by Mr E Weever and ridden by Hill
2. Pillery, 3 year old colt owned by Mr Townley-Parker and ridden by G Woodburn
3. Lady Jenny, 3 year old filly owned by Mr Jardine and ridden by Tomlinson
Betting: 3/1 Pillery and Ronald, 9/2 Herald
It was noticeable at the 1885 April meeting that prize money had decreased substantially. Whereas the previous year 100 Guineas was the norm, with the principal race worth 200 Guineas, this meeting saw 30 sovereign and 50 sovereign races, with the Spring Handicap worth 70 sovereigns.
Tuesday 7th April 1885
The Spring Handicap Hurdle Plate of 70 sovereigns over 2 miles and 8 hurdles
1. Madame Neruda, 4 year old mare owned by Mr Nicholls and ridden by A Skelton
2. Fontenoy, aged gelding owned by Mr Wood and ridden by T Hale
3. Lord Berners, 5 year old owned by Mr Merryfield and ridden by C Jones
Betting: 5/4 Hedgehog, 11/4 Fontenoy, 7/2 Madame Neruda
The final meeting took place on Friday 23rd August 1889 with winners shown below:-
Coldfield Plate over 6 furlongs
1. Brink owned by Mr P Aldworth and ridden by C Loates 5/1
Castle Plate over 5 furlongs
1. Filly by Victor Chief owned by Mr T Jennings and ridden by Jimmy Woodburn 5/1
Beaufort Handicap over 5 furlongs
1. Needles owned by Mr W A Jarvis and ridden by Jimmy Woodburn 9/2
Selling Handicap Plate over 5 furlongs
1. Picquet owned by Lord Cholmondeley and ridden by Allsopp 7/1
Evington Selling Plate over 1 mile
1. Mirabeau owned by Mr C Lane and ridden by Hill 5/2
The very last race at Four Oaks Park on Friday 23rd August 1889 was the King’s Heath Plate over 1 mile
1. Carronald, brown horse owned by Sir G Codrington and ridden by Maidment
2. Hinnington, brown colt owned by Mr Johnson and ridden by Liddiard
3. Antonina, chestnut mare owned by Mr J G Joicey and ridden by Robinson
4. Sister Mary, 4 year old mare owned by Mr E Weever and ridden by Calder
Betting: 9/4 Antonina, 5/2 Hinnington, 3/1 Sister Mary, 4/1 Carronald
I am grateful to Paul Leslie for the detailed 1885 map shown below; note the 1847 racecourse indicated by Number 2 and hatch lines:-
http://www.sutton-coldfield.net/four%20oaks.html
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
