Earliest meeting: Thursday 9th November 1769
Final meeting: Wednesday 23rd October 1867
The first recorded races at the Welsh town of Holywell took place on Thursday 9th November 1769 between the Flintshire towns of Holywell and Babell on an oval, flat course of 2 miles one furlong circumference, with a slight hill as the horses entered the final 4 furlong straight. It was a spectacular meeting, opening with a Match for 100 Guineas in which Mr Maurice’s Guinea-Pig beat sole rival Lord Grosvenor’s Arabian. The feature race of the day, the Holywell Cup over two miles for Members of the local Hunt, was won by racing fanatic Sir W W Wynn’s Brown George, beating Willow and Cadwallader. On the same day the Holywell Stakes for gentlemen riders went to Mr Jones’s Midnight, while the meeting concluded with a four year old Purse run over three two mile heats which was won by Sir W W Wynn’s Slimnap. Meetings, administered by Sir T Mostyn, continued to be staged annually, patronised by all of the prominent racing men of the day, including Lord Derby and Sir W W Wynn. In 1807 the Mostyn Mile Championship was launched, the inaugural running being won by Young Chariot owned by Mr C Cholmondeley. The race was contested for each of the next 29 years, with Mr Mostyn winning 3 of the last 4 runnings of the event. Although it was thought that the final meeting took place on Wednesday 20th October 1852, there was a brief revival for ust one year in 1867, so the very last meeting was staged on Wednesday 23rd October 1867.
Lord Derby, Lord Grosvenor, Sir T Stanley, Sir T Mostyn, Sir W W Wynn
The inaugural meeting on the Holwell Hunt racecourse was staged on Thursday 9th November 1769, the principal event being the Holywell Cup which was won by Sir W W Wynne's Brown George.
Holywell 100 Guineas Match
1. GUINEA-PIG (evens), bay colt owned and ridden by Mr Maurice
2. DIONYSIUS Colt dun colt owned by Mr Slaughter
Holywell 140 Guineas Stakes
1. MIDNIGHT chestnut gelding owned by Mr Jones and ridden by Captain Fownes
2. JUREY (6/4 fav) grey mare owned and ridden by Mr Maurice
3. WILL chestnut horse owned by Lord Grosvenor and ridden by Vernon
4. OWEN TUDOR chestnut horse owned and ridden by Mr Leche
5. MUNGO black gelding owned by Mr Gwynne and ridden by Evans
Holywell Cup
1. BROWN GEORGE bay gelding owned by Sir W W Wynne and ridden by Maurice
2. WILLOW grey gelding owned and ridden by Mr Vernon
3. CADWALLADER chestnut gelding owned by Mr Griffiths and ridden by Captain Fownes
4. SHROPSHIRE LAD bay horse owned by Mr Rpcke and ridden by Kinnersley
5. PIERCY chestnut gelding owned and ridden by Mr Leche
6. BLONDEAN GRUG grey mare owned and ridden by Mr Lloyd
7. TOBY TICKLE grey horse owned by Mr Mostyn and ridden by Ince
Holywell £50 4-year-old Stakes
1. FLIMNAP bay colt owned by Sir W W Wynne
2. SCHOLES chestnut gelding owned by Lord Grosvenor
3. DAINTY bay gelding owned by Mr Mostyn
4. SNIP chestnut colt owned by Hugh Williams
Holywell Mostyn Mile Winners
1807 Young Chariot owned by Mr Cholmondeley
1808 Gustavus owned by Lord Grey
1809 Meliboeus owned by Sir W W Wynn
1810 Planet owned by Lord Stamford
1811 Offa’s Dyke owned by Mr Shaw
1812 Ambo owned by Mr Price
1813 Ambo owned by Mr Shaw
1814 Ambo owned by Mr Shaw
1815 Spartan owned by Lord Derby
1816 Passamaquoddy owned by Lord Grosvenor
1817 Little Cyrmo owned by Sir W W Wynn
1818 Jupiter owned by Lord Grey
1819 Anti-Radical owned by Mr Mytton
1820 Spectre owned by Mr Bodenham
1821 Princess Royal owned by Sir T Mostyn
1822 Princess Royal owned by Sir T Mostyn
1823 Princess Royal owned by Sir T Mostyn
1824 Oswestry owned by Mr Mytton
1825 Arachne owned by Mr Geary
1826 Brutandorf owned by Mr Clifton
1827 Othodox owned by Mr Thompson
1828 Liston owned by Mr I Day
1829 Sarah owned by Mr Saunders
1830 Old Port owned by Mr Gore
1831 Pickpocket owned by Sir R Bulkeley
1832 Perseverance owned by Mr Giffard
1833 Jack Faucet owned by Mr Mostyn
1834 Intriguer owned by Sir T Stanley
1835 Usury owned by Mr Mostyn
1836 Trapball owned by Mr Mostyn
Tuesday 19th October to Thursday 21st October 1824
Taffy Stakes over a mile and 6 furlongs
1. Haji Baba owned by Sir T Stanley
2. Hybla owned by Lord Grosvenor
3. Archduchess owned by Sir T Mostyn
Mostyn Stakes over 2 miles
1. Oswestry owned by Mr Mytton
2. Sir Gray owned by Mr Tomes
3. Grildrig owned by Lord Derby
Holywell Hunt Produce Stakes over 2 miles
1. Grildrig owned by Lord Derby walked over
The Chieftan Stakes over the Mostyn Mile
1. Portrait owned by Sir T Stanley walked over
Hawarden Castle Stakes over 2 miles
1. Comte d’Artois owned by Mr Mytton
2. Princess Royal owned by Sir T Mostyn
Halkin Stakes over a mile and 6 furlongs
1. Oswestry owned by Mr Mytton walked over
I am grateful to Steve Kent for the photo from the former Holywell Hunt racecourse which shows masonry from the hexagonal judges tower.
I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.
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I am grateful to Steve Kent for the photos showing the current state (July 2020) of the once important Holywell Hunt racecourse. He comments, 'the foundations / remaining structure of the grandstand are about 1.0m above field level, with plenty of structural stone scattered close by, albeit everything is cloaked in nettles at this time of year. The hexagonal tower / judges' post which stood about 15m away across the line of the course is similarly reduced down to just above ground level. All of the course is currently under agricultural use, but as 90% of the course is coincident with public footpaths and bridleways it is still well walked. The second photo shows the view from the grandstand back along the finishing straight. It has to be a left-handed course, based on the alignment and location of the grandstand.'
This once very important meeting was staged again on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th October 1852, having been revived in 1851 after an eclipse for some years. Although it came off remarkably well, under difficult circumstances, there was clearly a great need for local tradesmen and inhabitants of the town to increase their efforts in promoting this event. In the end, of course, history tells us that that plea went unheeded, and this was the final meeting held at the racecourse.
Tuesday 19th October 1852
Grosvenor Stakes over 4 furlongs
1. NEEDLE owned by Mr J Henderson and ridden by G Oates
2. BRACELET owned by Mr Thompson and ridden by A Dod
3. LADY EMILY owned by Mr Connor and ridden by Veale
4. CERES owned by Mr C Suewing and ridden by Treen
Mostyn Stakes over the Mostyn Mile
1. KOH-I-NOOR owned by Mr E Phillips and ridden by Wilberforce
2. KITEFLYER owned by Lord Caledon and ridden by W Sharpe
3. IBIS owned by Mr Flintoff and ridden by Wells
4. LITTLE FAWN owned by Mr Barton and ridden by G Oates
5. THE LADY AMYOTT owned by Mr Copeland and ridden by Stanway
Wednesday 20th October 1852
Pengwern Stakes over 6 furlongs
1. HENRIETTA owned by Mr E Phillips and ridden by Wilberforce
2. DECEITFUL owned by Mr Lee and ridden by T Clay
3. NEEDLE owned by Mr Henderson and ridden by G Oates
4. LADY EMILY owned by Mr Connor and ridden by Cliffe
5. CARINETTA owned by Mr Owen and ridden by Wells
5. KATTY DARLING owned by Mr Lawrence and ridden by A Dod
Holywell Hunt Purse over 1 3/4 miles
1. THE LITTLE FAWN owned by Mr Barton and ridden by G Oates
2. BETHGELERT owned by Mr Jeffries and ridden by Gehan
3. TRUE GIRL owned by Mr J Walker and ridden by Stanway
4. LADY BIBINA owned by Mr Hadley and ridden by Cliffe
Borough Plate over a mile
1. NEEDLE owned by Mr Henderson and ridden by Veale
2. MARY NOBBLER owned by Mr Heap and ridden by Livesey
3. MISS TRUTH owned by Mr Price and ridden by Frost
4. TRUE GIRL owned by Mr J Walker and ridden by W Sharpe
5. HELEN FAWCET owned by Mr Barton and ridden by G Oates
Beaten Handicap
1. CARINETTE owned by Mr Owen and ridden by Wells
2. LADY EMILY owned by Mr Connor and ridden by Cliffe
3. LADY BIBINA owned by Mr Hadley and ridden by Stanway
Although it was initially thought that the final meeting was held in 1852, racing was revived just for one year in October 1867. The meeting took place on the old racecourse, near the Pantasaph Catholic Church, on Wednesday 23rd October 1867, with William Pierce and Dr Parry acting as Stewards. The single days racing was organized by Mr Bell, who had remembered the original meetings with great affection. Whilst the Talacre Stakes was run in 4 heats, the more valuable Mostyn Stakes was staged as a one-off weight for age race.
Wednesday 23rd October 1867
Mostyn Stakes over the Mostyn Mile
1. BRIGHTEYES owned by John Taylor
2. HARKFORWARD owned by Mr Hancock
3. JEANNIE owned by Mr Parry
4. JOHN BARLEYCORN owned by Mr Ellis
5. BEESWING owned by Mr Davies
Talacre Stakes over a mile
1. JEANNIE owned by Mr Parry 3 2 1 1
2. BEESWING owned by Mr Davies 2 1 2 2
3. HARKFORWARD owned by Mr Hancock 1 3 3 3
4. ALLOW ME owned by Mr Winkett 4
5. JOHN BARLEYCORN owned by Mr Ellis 5
6. FANNY owned by Mr Thomas Parry 6
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
