Earliest meeting: Tuesday 30th June 1724
Final meeting: Thursday 28th March 1839
The Lincolnshire market town of Long Sutton lies in the gloriously productive Lincolnshire Fenland, just 13 miles east of Spalding, and today has a population slightly in excess of 5000. It had a railway station on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Line, but that station closed in 1959 along with so many in the lead up to Beeching’s axe. The earliest 3 day meeting took place between Tuesday 30th June and Thursday 2nd July 1724 on Long Sutton Common. On the opening day a 10 Guineas Selling Plate was contested in which the winner was to be sold for 10 Guineas, with conditions of entry meaning subscribers to the race fund paid an entry of half a guinea, whilst non-subscribers paid a full guinea. On the second day, Wednesday 1st July, an 8 Guineas Selling Plate restricted to Galloways was staged, whilst on the final day of the meeting on Thursday 2nd July a valuable 20 Guineas Plate was held. Entries had to be made at the Black Bull Inn by 2rd June 1724, with all entries then stabled at the Inn. After racing on the final day an Assembly was held in the evening.
Baily’s Racing Register first provided detailed results from races held at Long Sutton from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July 1729 when the Long Sutton 20 Guineas Plate was won by the Duke of Hamilton’s Costly, beating Mr Bainbrigge’s Smock Face. The concluding race on the final day was also won by the Duke of Hamilton with Frightful. The meeting was deemed a success and was repeated the next year on Friday 23rd June when Windham won the 20 Guineas Plate and Lady Thigh the 30 Guineas Plate. It was over a century later before a steeplechase meeting was staged in the town on Thursday 28th March 1839. The 4 mile course contained 50 leaps and started at Mr Anderson’s Mill before heading towards Wisbech Turnpike Road, South Holland drain and over the Sutton Bridge road. The Chase was won by Mr Robert Hunter’s Thornton, who beat O’Connell and Snowdrop.
The newspaper extract below, giving details of the earliest meeting, is shown courtesy of the Stamford Mercury and British Newspaper Online.
Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July 1729
Long Sutton 20 Guineas Plate
1. Costly owned by The Duke of Hamilton
2. Smock Face owned by Mr Bainbrigge
Long Sutton 40 Guineas Plate
1. Frightful owned by The Duke of Hamilton
2. Spot owned by Sir J Chaplin
3. Whitenose owned by Mr Heneage
Friday 23rd June 1730
Long Sutton 20 Guineas Plate
1. Windham owned by Mr Fauquier
2. Smock Face owned by Mr Bainbrigge
3. Fanny owned by Mr Cole
Long Sutton 30 Guineas Plate
1. Lady Thigh owned by Mr Bertie
2. Fanny owned by Mr Cole
3. Forrester owned by The Duke of Ancaster
Thursday 28th March 1839
Long Sutton Steeplechase over 4 miles
1. Thornton, chestnut horse owned by Mr Robert Hunter
2. O’Connell, bay horse owned by Mr E Skelton
3. Snowdrop, grey mare owned by Mr T Hunter
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
