Earliest meeting: Tuesday 26th July 1814
Final meeting: Wednesday 15th June 1887
Hampton races began in 1814 and were situated at Molesey Hurst, then in Middlesex. The inaugural two day meeting took place on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th July 1814, opening with the Clarence Cup which was won by Mr Ball’s Emily. Later in the meeting the Hampton Subscription Purse was won by Hedley, owned by Mr Mapleston. The racecourse was a flat, oval course with a circumference of 12 furlongs, and there was a sprint course of 4 furlongs joining the main course, which was used for longer races on the Surrey, Middlesex and Queens Plate courses. At the second three day meeting from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd June 1815 the Molesey Stakes went to Wellesley, the Ladies Cup to Striver, the Clarence Gold Cup to Tooley, and the Twickenham Stakes to Mr Pengree’s Pheasant. Races were held regularly twice a year, with the mid-Summer meeting being dubbed the Cockney Derby. In the Sporting Magazine of 1846 their view of Hampton Races was, “Nobody ever dreams of going to Moulsey Hurst with a view to good racing”. After Hampton racecourse closed on Wednesday 15th June 1887 it was replaced by the more permanent course at Hurst Park which opened on 19th March 1890.
Tuesday 26th July 1814
The Clarence Cup over 2 ¼ miles
1. Emily, bay filly owned by Mr Ball
2. Trial, bay gelding owned by Mr White
3. Fanny, bay mare owned by Mr Barrondale
Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd June 1815
The Molesey Stakes over 2 miles
1. Wellesley owned by Mr Boult
The Hampton Ladies Cup over 2 ½ miles
1. Striver owned by Mr Hart
The Clarence Gold Cup over 2 ½ miles
1. Tooley owned by Mr Bacon
The Twickenham Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Pheasant owned by Mr Pengree
Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th July 1824
Hampton Clarence Stakes over 2 miles
1. Agnes owned by Mr Cockburn
2. Peggy owned by Mr Holbrook
3. Unnamed colt by Sir Walter Raleigh owned by Mr Scaith
Cocked Hat Stakes in which gentlemen wearing cocked hats received 6 lbs
1. Phillip owned by Mr G Berkeley
2. Mortimer owned by Mr Jones
3. Puncher owned by Mr H Moreton
Hampton Coburg Stakes over 2 miles
1. Fortune Teller owned by Mr Whyte
2. Agnes owned by Mr Cockburn
3. Evergreen owned by Mr Cockburn
With grateful thanks to Stephen McCurrie for this scan.
Hampton racecourse, in Surrey, not to be confused with the Oxfordshire course which held only one meeting, held races from 1814 until 1887. Whilst the rare racecard shown above records the meeting held in 1846, the final meeting took place on 15th June 1887.
The front cover/ principal races from this rare racecard are provided courtesy of the Robert Shaw collection.
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
