Earliest meeting: Tuesday 1st March 1892
Final meeting: Tuesday 30th April 1895
The Welsh market town of Llandovery is in Carmarthenshire and lies on the River Tywi. 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. Tragedy struck at the meeting on Wednesday 2nd May 1894 when the veterinary surgeon, Mr L P Rees from Brecon, was contesting a steeplechase when he was thrown from his horse at a ditch, lacerating his spine which proved fatal. Meetings were well supported but only continued for a further year; the final card took place on Tuesday 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 who beat Mars and Discord. |
| 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 1st March 1892
Llwynybrain Steeplechase over 2 ½ miles
1. Fairy Queen, 6 year old owned by Mr Saunder-Davies
2. Varteg Hill, 6 year old owned by Mr F L Phillips
3. The Parson, aged horse owned by Mr Herbert Jeffery |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 30th April 1895. |
| Course today |
An all grass course just one mile east of Llandovery. |
| 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 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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 |
| Download an order form |
| |
Quantity |
Cost |
| Volume 1 North of Hatfield £19.99 + £4 postage |
|
|
| Volume 2 South of Hatfield £14.99 + £3 postage |
|
|
| Volume 3 Wales & Scotland £9.99 + £3 postage |
|
|
| Volume 4 Ireland £9.99 + £3 postage |
|
|
| Volumes 1 - 4 £54.96 + £5 postage |
|
|
| Postage & Packaging |
|
|
| Total |
|
|
| Email order form to johnwslusar@gmail.com |
|