Earliest meeting: Saturday 8th May 1728
Final meeting: Thursday 16th May 1782
The first evidence of racing in the Yorkshire town of Hunmanby was recorded in Baily’s Racing Register, with detailed results provided from races held on Saturday 8th May 1728 when the main race was won by Mr Gallant’s Smiling Tom. Hunmanby is a large village in North Yorkshire, close to Scarborough and just 3 miles from Filey. The course was laid out in the grounds of Hunmanby Hall by Sir Humphrey Osbaldeston, who had inherited the property in 1770. The Hall and grounds had been in the ownership of the Osbaldeston family since 1620, with the most famous family member being Richard Osbaldeston who was the Bishop of London from 1762-64. Meetings were held annually each May which featured Subscription Races, Purses or Sweepstakes. In 1776 Mr H Osbaldeston’s Carbuncle beat Venetia and Vavasor, while two years later Carbuncle won the Purse. In May 1779 Carbuncle had to settle for third place in the Sweepstake behind Mr William Bethell’s Magnum Bunum and Cannibal. The final meeting took place on Thursday 16th May 1782.

May 1776

Hunmanby Subscription Race for 4 Year Olds
1. Carbuncle owned by Mr H Osbaldeston
2. Venetian owned by Sir J Pennyman
3. Vavasour owned by Miss Cornforth

May 1778

Hunmanby 50L Purse
1. Carbuncle owned by Mr H Osbaldeston
2. Magnum Bonum owned by Mr William Bethell

May 1779

Hunmanby Sweepstake
1. Magnum Bonum owned by Mr William Bethell
2. Cannibal
3. Carbuncle owned by Mr H Osbaldeston
4. Bourbon

Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th May 1782

(the final meeting at the racecourse)

Hunmanby 4 mile Handicap
1. Ruler owned by Mr Bethell
2. Unnamed filly by Eclipse owned by Mr Garforth
3. Unnamed horse owned by Mr Osbaldeston

Hunmanby Subscription Stakes over 2 miles
1. Paymaster owned by Mr Bethell
2. Ton owned by Mr Jollif
3. Unnamed colt by Espersykes owned by Mr Preston

In the grounds of Hunmanby Hall. The grounds on which the racecourse stood now have a 9 hole golf course, open parkland and holiday cottages.

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