Hamilton Road stables
In the mid-1960s a vast area of land, owned by the Jockey Club, close to the Heath, gallops and Rowley Mile course, was earmarked by the Jockey Club to form part of a massive venture aimed at increasing the number of stables in Newmarket, On the Hamilton Road plans were presented for the new stables, and the first to take advantage of the new scheme was former champion jockey turned trainer, Doug Smith. In December 1967, three days before Christmas, Doug announced that he would be moving his string of 30 horses from the yard of his former master, Geoff Brooke, and relocating to a gleaming new yard, the first of several offered to prospective tenants by the Jockey Club. Over half a century on, in 2020 the Hamilton Road contained in excess of 25 such racing establishments, many having changed owners, trainers and stable names on a regular basis since Doug Smith first occupied Cedar Lodge Stables back in early 1968. They offer direct and easy access to all of the Jockey Club Estates facilities and gallops, all within easy reach of the Warren Hill gallops. The Jockey Club cares for 2500 acres of maintained gallops, which includes over 50 miles of turf gallops, and since those early days of 1967 many Classic winners have been sent out from the wide array of Hamilton Road Stables.
For over 4 centuries racing has been staged in Newmarket, but how have the racecourses evolved from an initial starting point at Fleam Dyke Pumping Station, some 8 miles from the town, with a winning post barely 200 metres from the town centre, into two world recognized, excellent racecourses and a universal acceptance that Newmarket is the Headquarters of racing?
To access an interactive racecourse map showing over 50 individually named racecourses CLICK HERE. The map will enable you to:-
1. Determine when extended races over 8 miles, 6 miles and 4 miles began to be replaced by the courses now visited by thousands annually;
2. Consider how the challenge of crossing the Devil's Dyke was overcome;
3. Contemplate why the town no longer has a steeplechase course despite having at least 5 courses during the past 2 centuries;
4. Examine the practicalities of having up to 48 starting posts and winning posts;
5. Appreciate that it was not financially viable to have an open racecourse spread widely across the heath, with a finishing post barely 200 metres from the town centre;
6. Research how and why the Cambridgeshire Handicap has been contested over 3 different courses.
NOTE: The map does not make mention of 2 particular courses:-
(i) Sefton Course (also known as the Cambridge Road Course)
Source: 1970 Raceform. Used from 1959 to 1975.
(ii) New Circular Course
The Circular Handicap was run on Friday 29th October 1875 on the New Circular Course of about two miles.
Source: London Standard (30th October 1875): ''the horses started near the Turn of the Lands, ran back way of the Cambridgeshire Course towards the Ditch, and afterwards proceeded down the side of the Tan Gallop, and turned into the Rowley Mile near the Bretby Stakes starting post, finishing at the stand at the end of the flat. Except in the hollow near the Cambridgeshire start the runners should have been visible all the way if the sky had been bright and clear''.
Another report hoped that the Circular Handicap would become a feature in future programmes, as it would be contested in front of the new grandstand which would be completed in about a year and would be able to accommodate thousands.
(I am grateful to Tim Cox for bringing attention to these 2 courses.)
Enjoy researching the intriguing history of Newmarket and its many racecourses.
Heyward Place Stables enjoys a quiet location at the end of the Hamilton Road, next to Charnwood Stables and Frankland Lodge Stables to its left. It has immediate access to the Hamilton Hill Gallop from which owners, who are always warmly welcome at this stable, can watch their charges work.
Robert Cornelious Eddery, born in Blackrock, County Dublin, was the brother of former champion jockey Pat, as well as Paul and Michael, and was the son of jockey Jimmy Eddery. He was always likely to follow in his father's footsteps and take a leading role in the racing industry. Jimmy, who produced 11 children, was twice crowned champion in Ireland, and won the 1955 Irish Derby on Panaslipper (SR 2011), and the 1957 Irish Oaks aboard Silken Glen (SR 1891).
Although Robert was an accomplished rider, he did not reach the heights of Michael, the taller heights of Paul or the dizzy heights of Pat, but he remains a better trainer. He spent his early years as apprentice to Kevin Prendergast, followed by a time looking after the racing interests of Charles St George. He gained further experience in US racing stables, as well as being guided by one of the best in the business, Bart Cummings in Australia. He also spent 12 years working as assistant to Walter Swinburn at Peter Harris' Pendley Farm before overseeing Musk Hill Stud Farm, near Aylesbury, owned by brother Pat when Pat experienced problems with alcohol and needed a period of rehabilitation. Although Robert was running the stables for a while, the licence was in Pat's name, so at the end of 2010 Robert successfully applied for a licence in his own right. In April 2011 he took over the 24-box stable at Heyward Place, on the Hamilton Road in Newmarket, and has created enjoyment and value for money to his loyal owners for almost a decade. He guided Feeling East to a trio of successes in 2014, and repeated the feat with Donncha the next year. Robert has proved time and again that if he is given the right ammunition, he can hit the target.
2014 Edward Mills 40th Birthday Stakes at Salisbury FEELING EASY 5/1 owned by Edwin Phillips and Pamela Aitken, trained by Robert Eddery and ridden by Ross Atkinson
2014 Shepshed Fillies Nursery Handicap at Leicester FEELING EASY 5/1 owned by Edwin Phillips and Pamela Aitken, trained by Robert Eddery and ridden by Jimmy Quinn
2015 H Jarvis 137th Anniversary Handicap at Redcar DONNCHA 11/4 owned by David Bannon, trained by Robert Eddery and ridden by Andrea Atzeni
2015 Coco Charity Race Day Handicap at Goodwood DONNCHA 100/30 owned by David Bannon, trained by Robert Eddery and ridden by Tom Marquand
2015 Betfred Handicap at Lingfield DONNCHA 11/4 owned by David Bannon, trained by Robert Eddery and ridden by Sean Levey
Tom Keddy, Bill Ratcliffe
In some Racing Directories both Bill Ratcliffe and Tom Keddy were listed at Heyward Place Stables. Whether they leased boxes or part of the yard, or just showed an interest, is yet to be confirmed.
