Earliest meeting: Thursday 10th August 1837
Final meeting: Friday 29th August 1848
The Lancashire town of Horwich, located close to Bolton, first held races on Thursday 10th August 1837. It is unknown where the inaugural meeting was held, although it was deemed to be unsatisfactory, leading to the second annual meeting to be relocated to a 5 furlong course situated in extensive meadows next to the Squirrel Public House, with entries for the meeting made at the Lever Arms Hotel in Bolton. Meetings continued for the next eleven years, although a new Crown course for sprint races was introduced for the 1846 meeting when the Willoughby Stakes was won by Mr Walker's The Nobbler. The final meeting was staged on Friday 29th August 1848.
Sir J Gerard, W Standish Standish (High Sheriff), Captain Potts
The Second annual meeting was staged on Thursday 2nd August 1838 on an extensive meadow behind the Squirrel Inn, having moved from its original venue used for the inaugural August 1837 meeting. Stands were erected around the new course, and were filled with a brilliant assemblage of 'Lancashire Witches'. The Stewards for the day, overseeing a Hurdle Race, a Flat race and a Pony Race, were J Radcliffe and P.T.Munday.
Horwich Hurdle Sweepstake
(Twice round and the distance, with 2 four-foot high hurdles on each circuit)
- Blucher, aged bay gelding owned by Mr Hindle and ridden by Devine
- Miss Julia Wriggles, bay mare owned and ridden by Mr Mascall
- Tom Thumb, chestnut gelding owned by Mr Chew and ridden by Bretherton
- Jereboam, brown gelding owned and ridden by Mr J Munday
Horwich Stakes (Twice round and the distance)
- The Doctor, black gelding owned by Mr Chew and ridden by Bretherton
- Jereboam, brown gelding owned and ridden by Mr J Munday
- Blucher, aged bay gelding owned by Mr Hindle and ridden by Devine
- The Unknown, bay gelding owned and ridden by Mr Mascall
Wednesday 7th August 1839
A little publicised race meeting, the third such meeting in the town, was staged at Horwich on Wednesday 7th August 1839 and, to admirers of good old English sports, it was a splendid treat. The meeting was administered very efficiently by the Chief Steward, F Gerrard, with Mr Thomas Lees, of Bolton, the Clerk of the Course. Given the romantic location of the course, situated with the far-famed Rivington Pike to the East, with its grey turret over-looking the course, it was surprising that more did not attend. In the distance can be seen the ancient village of Blackrod to the West, with its venerable church standing in bold relief at the head of the village, while to the South lies the Vale of Horwich with the Horwich Vale Printworks to the fore. On this particular day the Grand Stand was filled with the beauty and wealth of the surrounding neighbourhood, while numerous splendid carriages lined up in rank order just outside the cords which marked the racecourse. The card consisted of 4 races, the principal race being the Horwich Stakes, although the supporting races, the Hurdle Sweepstake, a Pony Sweepstake and a consolation Handicap, provided ample betting opportunities for those minded to bet.
Hurdle Sweepstake of 5 sovereigns with 30 sovereigns added, over 3 circuits and four feet hurdles
1. TRUE BLUE (evens fav) chestnut gelding owned by Mr Stevenson and ridden by Mr Barker
2. MISS FANNY, (3/1) bay mare owned by Mr T Ashton
3. CALEB, brown gelding owned by Mr Huxley
4. DUCHESS, brown mare owned by Mr John Garner
Horwich Stakes 50 Sovereigns over 2 miles
1. DEFENCE, bay gelding owned by Mr Huxley and ridden by Mr Bretherton
2. BOLIVER, bay horse owned by Mr Jones
3. RECOVERY, chestnut colt owned by Mr Clark
The third race of the day, a Pony Sweepstake for ponies allocated weight for inches, provided the most interesting story of the meeting, as it involved a character named Jim 'Touch' Duckworth who owned the winner Fairy Jane..
Pony Sweepstakes of 3 Sovereigns each for ponies not exceeding 14 1/2 hands high. Twice round the course (about 1 mile 2 fulongs)
1. FAIRY JANE (10/1) owned by Mr Jim Duckworth and ridden by Mr Barker
2. CUPID (Evens fav) owned by Mr Jones
3. WAGTAIL owned by Mr Kaye
4. PUT owned by Mr Hall
5. DAM-IT-I’M-OFF owned by Mr R J Edmonstone
6. FISHERMANS BOY owned by Mr J Wilkinson
7. MUSIC owned by Mr Heap
8. MISS TABLEY owned by Mr Munday
9. UNNAMED MARE owned by Mr Parke
Mr Barker's skill was greatly admired as he steered Fairy Jane to an easy victory in the first heat, beating Wagtail and Pat, while in the second heat he won even more comfortably, defeating Cupid and Put.
Consolation Handicap Stakes twice round
1. DUCHESS owned by Mr John Garner
2. CUPID owned by Mr Jones
3. CALEB owned by Mr Huxley
Thursday 30th July 1840
Horwich Hurdle over 3 miles and 3 hurdles
1. Duenna owned by Mr Parker
2. Lady Chester
3. Extravagance
The Horwich Stakes over 2 miles
1. Champagne owned by Mr W H Hornby
2. Ararat
3. Honeysuckle
Horwich Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Little Peter owned by Mr Hollinshead
2. Unnamed horse owned by Mr W H Hornby
3. Caleb
The map below is shown courtesy of Ian Fitter and his team, and Google, and indicates the location of a racecourse in Horwich, but is some distance from the Squirrel Inn which was mentioned in newspaper reports of the day.
Thursday 6th to Saturday 8th August 1846
The Champagne Stakes over 4 furlongs
1. Comme-il-Faut owned by Mr W F Cranston
2. Infringe owned by Mr Whiles
The Horwich Tradesmen’s Gold Cup over 2 ¼ miles
1. Lady Sarah owned by Mr Whitworth
2. Jonathan Wild owned by Mr O’Brien
3. Little Hampton owned by Mr Standish
The Scurry Stakes over 4 furlongs
1. The Snob owned by Sir J Gerard
2. Unnamed colt by Drayton owned by Mr Rothwell
Thursday 6th August 1846
Willoughby Stakes over 2 miles
1. The Nobbler , aged horse owned by Mr Walker
2. Miss Castling, aged horse owned by Mr Osborne
3. Bryan, brown colt owned by Mr W Thompson
The Bolton Purse over 4 furlongs
1. Infringe owned by Mr Whiles
2. Comme-il-Faut owned by Mr Cranston
3. Stansty owned by Mr Thompson
The Manchester Handicap over 1 ½ miles
1. Dulcet owned by Mr Parr
2. Godfrey owned by Mr Meiklam
3. Quebec owned by Sir J Gerrard
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
