Earliest meeting: Tuesday 1st March 1836
Final meeting: Tuesday 26th March 1844
The Buckinghamshire town of High Wycombe had its first racing results published in the Sporting Magazine in March 1836. The feature at the inaugural meeting on Tuesday 1st March 1836 was the High Wycombe Stakes which saw Mr Hook’s Forester defeat Countess and Saladin. The 4 mile course started at Dashwood Hill and ‘continued over stiff, galloping country with rasping leaps and 2 brooks of considerable width, finishing at Mr J Lane’s meadow’. An amazing meeting took place in March 1840 when the Stewards were the two MP’s Sir William Young and the Honourable G H Dashwood, with the start being announced by a canon going off on West Wycombe Hill. The winner of the main race that day was Mr Lovegrove’s Jubilee. The final meeting took place on Tuesday 26th March 1844. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Sir William Young, Hon. G H Dashwood, Mr Geary, Mr Hook |
| Principal Races |
High Wycombe Stakes, High Wycombe Purse |
Tuesday 1st March 1836 |
High Wycombe Stakes
1. Forester owned by Mr Hook
2. Countess owned by Mr G Tallitt
3. Saladin owned by Mr Geary |
Tuesday 31st March 1840 |
High Wycombe 40 Sovereigns Purse
1. Jubilee owned by Mr Lovegrove
2. Streamer owned by Mr Webber
3. Othello owned by Mr Webber
The winner was ridden by Coltman and won by a length from the second ridden by Eustace. |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 26th March 1844. |
| Course today |
A 4 mile course starting at Dashwood Hill and finishing at Mr J Lane’s meadow. |
| 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 |
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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. |
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