Earliest meeting: March 1732
Final meeting: Thursday 10th March 1864
The Oxfordshire town of Henley lies on the River Thames some 10 miles from Reading and a similar distance from Maidenhead. The town was not mentioned in the Domesday Book and first came to prominence in 1179 when King Henry II purchased land in the area. Today it is world famous for its annual regatta, but back in the middle of the 18th century it held its own horse race meetings for a short period from 1732 to 1739 as mentioned in the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire. It was to be a further century before the town staged horse racing again on Thursday 10th March 1864 to celebrate the anniversary of the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The meeting was held on the Fawley Court Estate and opened with a Sweepstake won by Mr Allum’s My Mary defeating Flying Fish. The Henley Stakes saw Mr George Fordham’s Levity overcome Red Miner. This was the only meeting staged in the town.

Thursday 10th March 1864
Fawley Court Open Race
1. Huntsman, aged horse owned by Mr Iven
2. Ironside, aged horse owned by Mr Barter
3. Red Miner, aged horse owned by Mr Buckley

The only recorded meeting took place on Thursday 10th March 1864.

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