Earliest meeting: Friday 6th March 1846
Final meeting: Saturday 30th April 1895
The Welsh market town of Llandovery is in Carmarthenshire and lies on the River Tywi. The earliest record of a race meeting in the town was on Friday 6th March 1846 when races billed as ‘Llandovery Hurdle Races’ were staged. The opening Ladies Purse was won by Snowdrop for Mr Edwards, beating Hash Venison and Mina, while later in the afternoon the Saddle and Bridle race saw Mr Williams’ Corah defeat Llanfair Lass. The town enjoys beautiful countryside where hunting was once a popular sport, while in the surrounding area the Llwynybrain Hunt committee organised race meetings, the first being held on Tuesday 1st March 1892. The all grass course, with fences constructed by the same fence maker employed by Ludlow Race course, was situated one mile east of the town, opposite Velindre House. Although the course lacked a grandstand, this did not deter a huge crowd from witnessing Mr F Lort-Phillips’s Varteg Hill win the opening Llanfairbryn Chase. Only 2 contested the Llandovery Steeplechase and odds of two to one on were easily justified by St Valentine at the expense of Romany Lass. Meetings were popular and continued for each of the next 3 years before the final card took place on Saturday 30th April 1895. The Llwynybrain Steeplechase Plate was won by General Watson’s Evans, beating The Mitcher and Mars, while the Foxhunters’ Steeplechase went to Lazy Bones. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 3 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Llwynybrain Hunt Group, General Watson, Mr H P Wardell (Clerk of the Course) |
| Principal Races |
Llandovery Steeplechase, Llwynybrain Steeplechase, Foxhunters’ Chase |
Tuesday 30th April 1895
Llwynybrain Foxhunters’ Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Lazy Bones, aged horse owned by Captain Homfray
2. Mars, 6 year old owned by Mr J W Colby
3. Discord, aged horse owned by Mrs Jeffery |
| The final meeting took place on Saturday 30th April 1895. |
| Course today |
An all grass course with easy fences just one mile east of the town. |
| 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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