Earliest meeting: Friday 30th March 1838
Final meeting: Saturday 31st March 1838
The Northamptonshire village of Little Houghton is located just 2 miles east of Northampton and was the scene of a fiercely competitive steeplechase in the early 1800s as recorded in the ‘History of Northamptonshire’. The two day meeting began on Friday 30th March 1838 with the Little Houghton Steeplechase in which True Blue, owned by Mr Stevenson, beat Gladiator and Lord Southampton’s The Count. The widely advertised Northampton Grand Steeplechase was won by Vivian owned by Captain Lamb. On the following day a second Steeplechase was won by Captain Childe’s Conrad, getting the better of Jerry and the Captain Becher ridden Spicey. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Southampton, Captain Lamb |
| Principal Races |
Little Houghton Steeplechase, Northamptonshire Grand Steeplechase |
| 30th March 1838 |
Little Houghton Steeplechase of 5 sovereigns with 40 sovereigns added
1. True Blue owned by Mr Stevenson
2. Gladiator owned by Mr Lebird
3. The Count owned by Lord Southampton
The Rake also ran but fell
The Northamptonshire Grand Steeplechase
1. Vivian owned by Captain Lamb
2. Laura owned by Mr Lambden
3. Vespasian owned by Mr Lambden |
| 31st March 1838 |
Little Houghton Steeplechase
1. Conrad owned by Captain Childe
2. Jerry owned by Mr Anderson
3. Spicey owned by Mr Fairlie
4. Yellow Dwarf owned and ridden by Lord Waterford
The third horse, Spicey, was ridden by the famous Captain Becher. |
| The final meeting took place on Saturday 31st March 1838. |
| Course today |
Over 4 miles of good hunting ground on the edge of Little Houghton. |
| 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. |
| ORDER FORM |
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| Volume 1 North of Hatfield £19.99 + £4 postage |
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| Volume 2 South of Hatfield £14.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volume 3 Wales & Scotland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage |
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| Volumes 1 - 4 £54.96 + £5 postage |
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