Earliest meeting: Friday 8th April 1853
Final meeting: April 1856
The Dumfries and Galloway area of Leafield is north east of Stranraer and was, at one time, a hamlet in its own right. Although the Dumfries Racecourse held its final meeting on Wednesday 13th October 1847, within a year hunters and hounds were introduced into the area by Joe Graham.  Some 5 years later the first race meeting organised by the Hunt Committee took place at Leafield on Friday 8th April 1853 and remained there until 1856. That 1853 meeting was billed as the South of Scotland Steeplechases and took place on Lochfields Farm at Leafields. The Hunters Stakes was won by Tortoise for Mr Bryden, while the Innkeepers Plate went to Mr Russell’s Borland. The feature race at that inaugural meeting was the South of Scotland Handicap Steeplechase which saw Mr J Laing’s Johnnie Barrie defeat Maley and Flight. After the April 1856 meeting races organised by the Hunt Committee continued at a number of venues until their final meeting at Justinlees in 1914.

The Silver Snuff-Box, The Silver Jug, Dumfriesshire Hunt Cup, Border Hunt Chase

Friday 8th April 1853
South of Scotland Handicap Steeplechase
1. Johnnie Barrie, chestnut gelding owned by Mr J Laing
2. Maley, chestnut mare owned by Mr Henderson
3. Flight, grey mare owned by Captain Newman

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