Earliest meeting: Tuesday 30th July 1751
Final meeting: July 1798
The Oxfordshire village of Islip, which lies on the River Ray, is situated just 3 kilometres from Kidlington and 8 kilometres north of Oxford. Today it is more famous for the Romano-British village which was found just half a mile away, but back in the middle of the 18th century Islip held its own races. The inaugural meeting, a 2 day affair, took place on Islip Heath on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st July 1751. The opening Give and Take Stakes was won by Sir Marmaduke Wyvill’s Adventurer. Although the final recorded meeting at Islip took place in 1751, the Sporting Magazine mentioned a meeting in the village in July 1798, although no other details are provided. It could well have been such a minor village meeting that it was not deemed necessary to record the results. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, Sir George Seabright |
| Principal Races |
Islip Stakes, Islip 50 Guineas Give and Take Stakes |
Tuesday 30th - Wednesday 31st July 1751 |
Tuesday 30th July 1751 Islip Give and Take Fifty Pounds Purse
1. Adventurer owned by Sir Marmaduke Wyvill
2. Malatto owned by Mr Trout
3. Oddity owned by Mr Cuthbert
4. Friday Face owned by Mr Humberton
5. Little Toney owned by Mr Cornwall
Wednesday 31st July 1751 Islip Stakes for Fifty Pounds
1. Tom Jones owned by Mr Freeman
2. Ophelia owned by Mr Doughty
3. Fair Play owned by Mr Richardson
4. Shadow owned by Mr Hunt
5. Star Gazer owned by Sir George Seabright |
| The final meeting took place on Wednesday 31st July 1751. |
| Course today |
On the outskirts of the village on Islip Heath. |
| 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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