The tiny Leicestershire village of Little Dalby is 3 miles from Melton Mowbray and first held racing in 1883. Races were organised by the Melton Hunt Committee who, in the past, had made use of Burton Lazars racecourse. The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup over 4 miles and 24 fences is now contested at the annual Cheltenham Festival in March, but in 1883 it was held at Little Dalby when won by Satellite ridden by Ted Wilson, the final one of his 4 wins.

Little Dalby is now incorporated into the Ernest Cook Trust and is part of an estate which extends over 5600 acres. There is little evidence of the racecourse which once existed, although it was probably laid out each year with the use of flags.

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