Earliest meeting: Thursday 27th June 1811
Final meeting: Monday 18th October 1875
The Humberside town and seaport of Grimsby, often known as Great Grimsby, was historically part of Lincolnshire. It first held races on Thursday 27th June 1811 on common land when the Maiden Plate was sponsored by local MP Major-General Loft and won by Colonel King’s Bully, beating Delpini and Mansfield. Meetings continued to be held annually, although the first reference in the Sporting Magazine was the two day meeting on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th June 1829 when the opening Maiden Plate, over 2 miles, saw Mr Dixon’s Lucy beat Colonel King’s Madcap, and the Hunters Stakes was won by Rufus. The Grimsby Handicap Purse was a mean two runner race in which Mr Haworth’s Brenda easily justified odds of 5/1 on against sole rival Jemmy only offered at 6/4. In any age a book of 120% in a two runner affair would be mean. After 1850 the meetings became known as Great Grimsby; on Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st July 1855 the Innkeepers Plate was won by Maid of Newlands for Mr Osborne, the Grand Stand Stakes by Yentick for Mr G Duggleby, and the Brocklesby Plate by Mr William’s Tom Perkins. The final meeting took place on Monday 18th October 1875.
Major-General Loft MP, Count Periquet, Colonel King, Mr John Osborne
Great Grimsby Innkeepers Plate, Grand Stand Stakes, Brocklesby Plate, Grimsby Hunters Stakes, Handicap Purse
Thursday 11th & Friday 12th June 1829
Grimsby Maiden Purse over 2 miles
1. Lucy owned by Mr Dixon
2. Madcap owned by Colonel King
Grimsby Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Rufus owned by Mr Bowser
2. Jemmy owned by Mr Everett
3. Blacklock owned by Mr Turner
Grimsby Handicap Purse over 2 miles
1. Brenda owned by Mr Haworth
2. Jemmy owned by Mr Everett
They bet 1/5 favourite Brenda and 6/4 Jemmy. In any age this would have been quite a mean book!
Monday 30th & Tuesday 31st July 1855
Great Grimsby Innkeepers Plate over 1 ½ miles
1. Maid of Newland owned by Mr J Osborne
2. Angelo owned by Mr Brown
3. Contentment owned by Mr Ridsdale
The Grand Stand Stakes over a mile
1. Yentick owned by Mr G Duggleby
2. The Twin owned by Mr Wilson
3. Angelo owned by Mr Brown
The Brocklesby Plate over a mile
1. Tom Perkins owned by Mr Williams
2. Yentick owned by Mr G Duggleby
3. Cigarette owned by Count Periquet
4. Fanny Fern owned by Mr Skipworth
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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The final meeting took place on Monday 18th October 1875.
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
