Earliest meeting: Tuesday 6th October 1840
Final meeting: Tuesday 5th October 1841
The small Powys market town of Hay-on-Wye is famous today for its major literary festival, but in the middle of the 19th century it held its own race meetings. The inaugural meeting took place on Tuesday 6th October 1840 on a course 2 miles from town on ground owned by Mr Dowell of Clifford Court. It was deemed to be a success and initiated a second meeting on Tuesday 5th October 1841. That meeting opened with the Town Cup which went to Mr Thompson’s Saracen, while the Wye Side Stakes was won by Mr Jones’s Henley who walked over. The Hay Hurdle race saw Saracen defeat Skyrocket and Brown Bess. After racing the Stewards Ordinary was held at the Rose and Crown Inn. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Dowell, Mr W Acton (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Hay Town Cup, Wye Side Stakes, Hay Hurdle Race |
Tuesday 5th October 1841
Hay Town Cup
1. Saracen, grey filly owned by Mr Thompson
2. Duport, chestnut colt owned by Mr Capel
3. Dewdrop, black mare owned by Mr Rendall |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 5th October 1841. |
| Course today |
Two miles from town on ground owned by Mr Dowell of Clifford Court. |
| 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 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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. |
| ORDER FORM |
| Download an order form |
| |
Quantity |
Cost |
| Volume 1 North of Hatfield £19.99 + £4 postage |
|
|
| Volume 2 South of Hatfield £14.99 + £3 postage |
|
|
| Volume 3 Wales & Scotland £9.99 + £3 postage |
|
|
| Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage |
|
|
| Volumes 1 - 4 £54.96 + £5 postage |
|
|
| Postage & Packaging |
|
|
| Total |
|
|
| Email order form to johnwslusar@gmail.com |
|